The Princess and The Bat
by natalieblack2
Summary: "With those two bullets Joe Chill fired twenty two years ago, he unknowingly set Bruce on a path that no one in a million years could have predicted. And, in a twist of fate, he changed my life too." When Bruce Wayne returns from his mysterious 7 year disappearance, Delaney Martin's life is turned upside down. Can she handle his bat-like alter ego? Bruce/OC. Set in Batman Begins.
1. The Princess Meets Her Prince

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything Batman. That belongs to DC Comics and the genius that is Christopher Nolan.**

The year I turned three was the year Gotham lost two of its most upstanding citizens- Thomas and Martha Wayne. Gunned down in an alley way outside the Gotham Theater by a man desperate for money. The tragedy was even witnessed by the heir to the vast Wayne fortune: Bruce Wayne. Only eight years old, having to watch his parents slaughtered right in front of him, was enough to leave a lasting impression.

I remember when my father-Dr. Alexander Martin- heard that his good friend and colleague had been murdered. He went into denial: saying it was a mistake, it wasn't true; it _couldn't_ be true, etc. My mother, Jennifer, just cried. Great wracking sobs that echoed through the house and scared me out of my wits. She and Martha had also been close friends- not the fake, society friends you usually saw in upper class families- but real, _true_ friends. I just stood in the entrance of the sitting room, clutching an old worn out stuffed bunny rabbit I couldn't recall the origin of. I observed my parents in their misery until my Aunt Sophie, who lived with us until I was ten, took me by the arm and towed me back to my bedroom.

"Don't worry your pretty head about anything, _ma chérie,_" she'd cooed to me as she tucked my covers around me, "There was a great loss suffered tonight. We must keep our heads held high. _La tête haute._"

I worshipped Aunt Sophie. She'd been born in France before the family moved to Gotham for my grandfather's job- a heart surgeon. One of the best in Rennes. She'd tutored me in French until I could speak fluently and then we moved onto Italian and Spanish. I knew her word was law, and so I kissed her good-night, cuddled to my bunny, and fell into a deep slumber.

The next morning, my mother dressed me in my church clothes and we drove into the Palisades, a more fancy area of Gotham. I stared in awe at the rolling green lawns and stately manor homes we passed until we entered the circular drive of a downright palace.

Being told I was a little princess all my life, I'd always expected to at least _see_ a castle. Now that my family had taken me to _visit _one, my three year old heart couldn't take it. As soon as I was free of my car seat, I took off to delight myself in the grandeur. My dreams were crushed, however, when my father caught the back of my coat and hauled me back.

"Delaney Marie Martin! You know better than to just run off. Please wait," he scolded gently, his comforting brown eyes peering into my matching pair. Chastised, I nodded humbly before taking his hand as he led my mother and I up the steps and knocked on the door. A stately older man answered and shook my father's hand.

"Mr. Martin. Mrs. Martin," he nodded politely at my mother and gave her a warm smile before catching sight of me. He also gave me a grin.

"This must be Miss Delaney," he said. I hid shyly behind my father's leg, still in my phase of 'strangers are dragons in hiding.' My father chuckled and ushered me inside before him.

We were led to a grandly furnished sitting room where my mother and father sat me between them on a plush white lounge. I sat perfectly still, folding my hands delicately in my lap and gazing at the older man in reverence. He studied me in turn as my parents situated themselves next to me.

"She's quite well-mannered. Master Bruce was a terror at this age," he commented. I smiled demurely at him and my father beamed, before his face fell when he remembered the real reason we'd come.

"Alfred… is it true? Thomas and Martha are-gone?" he finished, giving me a sideways look. I didn't seem to catch the faltering in his words.

Being only three years old, I'd never experienced what death was before and my parents weren't sure how I'd take it. They felt they'd explain it when I was older and more mature with the capability to handle it. Alfred seemed to notice their hesitation and came to their rescue.

"If you like, Miss Delaney may explore the manor. Master Bruce is just… in his room," I missed the significant look he gave my mother as I was grateful to be excused to entertain myself however I pleased.

Wayne Manor was, in my expert three year old opinion, _magical_. Large and ominous hallways led into enormous, elegant rooms that were adorned with stylish and charming furniture. If a little girl ever wanted to be a princess, this would be the place to go.

Giggling, I made up a small game that I was Princess Laney (my nickname), hiding from the scary dragon while at the same time searching for my Prince Charming. I rounded corners in mock desperation, crying out "Oh my prince! My prince! Come to me at last!" while toddling out of the way of the dragon's 'fire-breath.' Finally, after about a half hour of these antics, I came across a closed door on the third floor.

_I've found my prince! _I cheered internally. Slowly, like a cat stalking a mouse, I reached for the door handle and yanked it open.

"I found you!" I cried, before catching sight of a figure by the window. I screamed in fright and fell to the floor as the figure also cried out and hid inside the folds of the drapes.

For a minute, we were both petrified, refusing to show ourselves to the other, before I heard shuffling.

"Uh… I won't…hurt you," came the child-like voice of a young boy cautiously. I peered over the bed I'd hidden under, only to come face to face with a boy no older than eight.

His light brown hair was combed back out of his face and he had rounder features, not yet chiseled from puberty. What surprised me most was the deep sorrow etched in his face. His eyebrows were drawn and his dark brown eyes-only a few shades darker than my own-held a deep gloom that seemed as bottomless as the pure puddles of dark chocolate it drowned in.

"Who are you?" he asked, not impolitely. My heart beat raced and I found my usually chatty personality grow silent. We continued to stare at each other before I finally found the words to speak.

"D-Delaney. B-B-But, momma and papa call me Laney sometimes," I added. He nodded kindly, slightly awkwardly.

"I'm Bruce. Nice to meet you," he held out his hand and I stepped forward to take it. We shook hands and he went back to staring out the window. I huffed lightly.

Normally when I met someone, they would comment on how adorable I was and shower me with attention. This time, however, I knew I would have to use my cuteness factor to be noticed.

I ambled over to where Bruce was and pulled my tiny body up onto the window seat, facing the boy I'd just met. I peered into his lined face and cocked my head.

"Why are you so sad?" I asked innocently. He gazed at me in confusion, like it was odd that I didn't already know.

"My mom and dad are… dead," he whispered, eyes brimming with tears. My brows furrowed.

"What's 'dead' mean, Bruce?" I questioned. He shook his head as tears streamed down his cheeks.

"I don't have a mom or dad anymore!" he burst out, beginning to sob.

This upset me more than anything. I didn't know what losing my parents meant, but when someone other than myself cried it cut me deeply. I found myself begin to weep along with him and before I knew it, I'd reached forward and hugged this boy I'd never met before. I hated to see someone in pain, even at that young age. So when Bruce tentatively wrapped his arms around me in return, it was a small victory on my part.

We sat there for I wasn't sure how long before I felt Bruce tug away from me. We released each other and he sniffled.

"I'm sorry for crying," he apologized.

"It's okay. Papa says everyone cries," I answered matter-of-factly. For the first time since we'd met, Bruce cracked a smile and my chest swelled with happiness. I'd succeeded in making him happy again.

"Do you wanna play prince and princess with me?" I asked excitedly. Without waiting for an answer, I pulled Bruce to his feet and began to direct him in what to do. For another hour or so, we continued this and my mother opened Bruce's bedroom door to see me laying on the bed, arguing with my prince-to-be about waking me up from the enchanted sleep.

"You have to, Bruce! I need to wake-up from my sleep with true-love's kiss!" I whined. He shook his head furiously, crossing his arms as a rose blush tinted his cheeks.

"Nuh-uh," he refused pointedly. My mother, father, and Alfred laughed, alerting us to their presence.

"C'mon, princess. We have to get home to Aunt Sophie now," my father explained. I leapt off the bed and hugged my new playmate goodbye as I bounded into my father's arms.

"Goodbye, Bruce!" I waved as my parents led me out to the car. Before they buckled me into the car seat, I caught a glimpse of the sad boy's arm waving back to me before disappearing back into the shadows.

That was the day I became Bruce Wayne's friend.

_Translations:_

_ma chérie: my darling_

_La tête haute: Head up/head held high_

**A/N: Well, here is a trial run of my new story _The Princess and The Bat._ I don't have a lot written, but since publishing my other stories I've decided to put up the first chapter of every new story I write to see how the readers feel about it. This isn't set in stone so things like the title (kinda lame I know, but it was all I could think of) and other ideas can be changed. So leave me a review and tell me how you feel! If you like the story, if you don't, if you want to cuss me out and tell me how horrible a writer I am, etc. I take ALL feedback, member or annonymous reviewer. Ok, I've prattled on enough. REVIEW PLEASE! Thanks a bunch! ~Brooke**


	2. 22 Years Later

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything Batman.  
**  
_Thanks to Lillianagreen, Nymartian, cp6, and kindleflame5 for being my first four reviewers. You guys made my day._

~_22 years later_ ~

"MISS MARTIN! I NEED YOU!"

Startled, I yelped as the pencils I'd been holding flew out of my hands and scattered all over the floor. I groaned and kneeled down to begin picking them up, when another hand covered my own. I glanced up to see my coworker, and friend, Jessica smile at me.

"You'd better get in there. He's in one of his moods again," she whispered slyly. I rolled my eyes and stood carefully in my 4 inch heels.

Jessica and I worked as executive assistants to the CEO of Wayne Enterprises, William Earle. He'd made it perfectly clear when we'd started to work with him that we were to be seen and not heard, and we were just women whose ideas didn't matter.

Needless to say, he had a little surprise in his coffee the next morning. Not that he noticed.

I saluted her and walked confidently inside the board room, only to stop at Earle's raised palm. My eyes narrowed.

_I'm not a dog, you asshole_, I thought crossly, but held my tongue. Instead I placed a cool smile on my face and thought about my life so far.

I'd grown up into a beautiful young woman, one of the top scholars in my class at Gotham Private, and majored in business at the University of Gotham. My father had been disappointed that I hadn't gone into pre-med, like so many of my family before me, but I'd had ulterior motives for my choice. My heart panged painfully as I prepared myself to think of the one person who made me realize my calling-Bruce Wayne.

Suddenly, before I could stop it, the memory came flooding back to me. It took me off guard at how vivid it was…

_*7 years ago_*

_I leaned against the hood of my 1994 Toyota Corolla as I watched patrons of Gotham International Airport exit the doors in the arms of loved ones and into cabs and vans and other vehicles to head home after a long travel. I myself scanned the area until I caught sight of a tall head of dark brown hair. Immediately, I straightened and bounded straight into the arms of my best friend, Bruce Wayne._

_ "BRUCE!" I screamed before landing in his embrace. I buried my face into his shoulder as he picked me up and spun me around, both of us laughing gleefully at the pure joy from seeing each other again. To anyone around us, it looked like the reunion of two lovers. But to us, it was Bruce and Laney, together again after too long._

_ "Hi Princess," he murmured into my hair, finally setting me down. I just laughed._

_ "Bruce, why do you still call me that? I'm eighteen now," I giggled, twirling around. He just laughed and kissed my forehead._

_ "Because you will always be Princess Laney to me, trying to convince an eight-year old boy to kiss you awake from an enchanted sleep," he teased. My cheeks reddened as I remembered the first time we met. _

_ He hoisted his bags into the trunk of my car and folded himself into the cramped front seat as I drove away from the curb._

_ "Jesus, Lane, couldn't you find a bigger car?" he grumbled, trying to adjust the seat to accommodate his height. I scowled._

_ "You insult Tabitha, you get left on the side of the road," I warned. He finally fixed the problem and sat back, a lazy smile on his face. Out of the corner of my eye, I studied him._

_ His brown hair was longer than usual, almost brushing his eyes, and mused from the flight. He wore a tan trench coat and green sweater over a nice blue shirt and tie-the image of a preppy college boy. I myself was in jeans, a purple button up, and my favorite pair of Chuck Taylors. My dark blonde hair was hanging loosely to the middle of my back and pulled away from my face with clips. I just looked like a normal 18 year old, ready to graduate and start the rest of my life. No one would even recognize me as Delaney Martin, the daughter of the best surgeon at Gotham General Hospital and the most respected event planner this side of the East Coast._

_ "I don't know if you got my last E-mail, but…" I started._

_ "You decided on Princeton," he finished. I beamed and nodded, expecting words of encouragement and praise from my best friend. What I got was nothing I'd expected._

_ "I'm not going back," he said pointedly. In shock, I almost swerved into the other lane, but regained control at the last second._

_ "What?!" I screeched, my heart beat returning back to normal._

_ "I'm not going back to Princeton, Lane. I've been expelled. They don't want me back," he continued. I sat there in stunned silence._

_ Ever since I'd applied to Princeton, I'd planned on shadowing Bruce there. He was my idol, my hero, and I wanted to be just like him. We'd maybe share an apartment as roommates and take the college by storm. It was all planned out._

_ Until now._

_ "What happened? Why were you expelled?" I demanded, heatedly. He shrugged._

_ "I don't want to talk about it," he stated simply. I gnashed my teeth together, my temper rising._

_ "Was it about today?" I fumed. He stiffened and I knew I'd finally gotten to him._

_ "That man killed my parents, Lane. I have a right to be angry," he growled._

_ "We all do! We all think that what this man did was wrong. But that doesn't give you the right to do whatever the hell you want and get kicked out of school!" I roared, losing my patience. He gave me a cold stare._

_ "You weren't there that night," he said icily, "You didn't have to watch your parents murdered right in front of you. You didn't have to see the man who single-handedly ruined your life and look him in the eyes. You don't have to hear his bullshit story about how he's sorry for what he did!" By the end of his statement, his voice had risen to a yell that ripped through my tiny car and rang in my ears. I fought back tears._

_ "No," I stated simply, "but I have to see the pain in your eyes every day. I have to see that night echo through your head if anyone mentions it. You might be angry and hurt, but that doesn't mean you're the only one suffering." We finally pulled up to Wayne Manor and he got out without another word. I stayed in the car, willing away the angry tears that threatened to spill over as he pulled his bags out of my trunk and slammed it shut. The last image I had of my best friend was his stiff body walking up the steps of his home and into the waiting arms of his only family left-Alfred._

_ The next morning was the day I learned the news that Bruce Wayne had disappeared without a trace. The day my life changed forever. _

_*Present time*_

I'd spent seven years searching for my friend, heartbroken and feeling guilty for the argument that I'd felt sent him over the edge. I got the whole story of the trial from Rachel Dawes, Bruce's other best friend. He'd walked out in the middle of the hearing only to appear just as a mob bosses' assassin ended the life of Joe Chill.

He'd shown Rachel the gun later that night. He told her he was ready to kill Chill himself.

I blinked as Earle called me back to reality, staring at me with haughtiness. I straightened and walked forward at his beckoning.

"You called, Mr. Earle?" I chirped cheerfully, all the while thinking of thirteen ways to kill him and bury the body. It was a routine way to keep my temper-and quick tongue-in check.

"I want to make sure my plan to go public with the company goes off without a hitch, Miss Martin. This means I need you to… check up on Mr. Pennyworth." I stiffened, my upper lip curling up in disgust.

I _knew_ he'd use me to get to Alfred. He'd seemed too curious in the reasons I'd been living at Wayne Manor for the past three years for just normal human interest.

After I'd graduated from the University, I'd declined my parent's offer to buy me an apartment and instead moved in with Alfred to help him keep the Manor in good shape. He'd agreed immediately and I'd been calling the old palace home ever since. We'd grown closer over the years as I made sure he was taken care of. It had been what Bruce would have wanted.

"Mr. Earle, sir, Mr. Pennyworth agreed with us in the first place to continue to hold the majority shares in the case that…"

"Miss Martin, Bruce Wayne is dead," he interrupted rudely. My heart throbbed again at his insensitivity and I clenched my fists. He continued.

"It would be in that old butler's interest to hand over the shares to me and live comfortably on the inheritance he undoubtedly earned from the Wayne's will," he finished. My brown eyes flashed dangerously at the unbelievable gall he had to speak of Alfred and the Wayne family like he did. I began to open my mouth to retort, only to be interrupted by the shrill ringing of his phone. He waved me away and I stormed out of the board room in a huff.

"Del? Del, where are you going?" Jessica called after me as I blew past her to the elevator.

"To see Fox," I shouted back as the doors slid shut. Once I was safely inside, I let out a frustrated scream. How dare he? How dare he take my heart and rip it up into shreds? What right did he have to declare my best friend dead and break not only mine, but Rachel's and Alfred's hearts? And then, to so boorishly bring it up every time I was nearby. My body sagged against the wall in defeat.

It was torture to think of Bruce anymore. All I could imagine was his back turned to me the last time I saw him. For seven years, it was all I could remember. Not the play-dates we had as children or the time we spent together as teenagers. Only the argument that led him to walk out of my life.

The cheerful _ping_ alerted me to my stop and I clomped over to the one lone desk on the whole floor.

"Let me guess, Miss Martin. Earle getting on your bad side again?" came the pleasant voice of Lucius Fox, head of Applied Sciences and a good friend of mine and Alfred's. I snorted unladylike and flopped down in the chair he'd taken to keeping around just for me.

"He's been on my bad side since the day I came to work for him," I grumbled, kicking off my heels and running my hand through my hair. He chuckled.

"What was it this time?" he asked.

"He's asking about the shares again. _And_ he was insulting Bruce's family and Alfred. You know, without the Wayne family, that imbecile wouldn't even _have _a job!" I huffed, collapsing into the plush leather and pouting. Lucius was silent.

He'd been on the board of trustees when Thomas Wayne was alive, and even helped him build the monorail system that ran through the entire city. He was one of the most respected members that worked alongside the older Mr. Wayne. When Earle succeeded, he was demoted to Applied Sciences to stay out of trouble. He'd been the one who convinced Alfred not to give up Bruce's shares of Wayne Enterprises. Although, Earle didn't know that part.

"Lucius," I whispered, sitting up sadly, "I need to quit. I need to leave Gotham City for good. There's nothing left for me here anymore. Not after Bruce left. I was just going to stay long enough to go to college and make sure Alfred was okay. Now that I've graduated and Alfred's taken care of… it's time to move on."

"Where would you go?" he asked. I looked down, refusing to meet his eyes.

"Anywhere," I whispered guiltily. He sighed, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"I hate to say this, Miss Delaney, but if he wanted to be found, he would be," he said gently. I knew he was right and wasn't purposely trying to hurt me, but it stung nonetheless.

The year after Bruce's disappearance, my Aunt Sophie decided to move back to France. I begged her to let me go with her to study abroad, but she saw right through my plan.

"You are not going to study, _mon bien-aimé. _You will spend your time looking for Bruce Wayne and not pay attention to school. Stay here. Get your degree. It's for the best," she'd reasoned. So I followed her advice. I killed myself trying to top the class academically and took the assistant job at Wayne Enterprises, hoping to climb my way to the top and turn the company around for the better. Only moldy Earle stood in my way.

"I know, Lucius. Everyone keeps telling me that it's over and he won't come back. But I can't help it. I _know _he's alive. And I'll be damned if I give up now. I'll search the entire globe if I have to. But I _will_ find Bruce Wayne and I _will_ bring him home."

_Translation:_

___mon bien-aimé_: my beloved

**A/N: Well, here's chapter two! I really like what I have planned for the future and I hope you will too. So, leave me a review because I love reading what you have to say. It keeps me going, even when I'm banging my head on the desk in frustration when something is just really bad. (I don't really do that. I promise.) Oh and to all my french readers out there: I apologize for the atrocious french. I'm not fluent in the language and am using an online translator. Hehe, sorry. :) Anywho, see you next time! ~Brooke**


	3. First Kisses and Nightmares

**Disclaimer: I do not own Batman**

_Thanks to mandapanda505, Lillianagreen, LeleChaos, and Nymartian for your reviews and to kindleflame5 for your PM. You guys are awesome!_

~Later that night~

I sighed in ecstasy as I kicked off the towering heels I'd worn to work that day on the porch and opened the door to the manor.

"Alfred? Alfred, I'm home!" I called into the empty house. I got no answer. Confused, I made my way to the spacious kitchen to see a piece of paper sitting by the phone.

_ Miss Delaney,_

_ I've been called away and should be back within two days. Grocery shopping is done and the kitchen is stocked for your needs. _

_ ~Alfred_

_P.S. Your mother called. She asked you how you're fairing… and if you'd like to move back home._

_P.P.S. I said no._

I laughed out loud, the sound echoing through the vacant halls. It was so like Alfred to tease Mom endlessly.

My mother was always worried that Alfred and I were lonely up in this "old house" and begged for me on a regular basis to move back in with them. She'd even offered to hire Alfred as our butler when I argued that I couldn't leave him. But we both turned her down and she'd been throwing the subject around in every conversation we had since.

Padding up the steps with my heels in hand, I entered my room and dropped them on the floor. I pulled out a pair of pajama pants and an old University T-shirt before changing and throwing my work clothes in my hamper. Stopping, I studied my room.

It was a basic white room, freshly painted after I'd gotten tired of looking at the chartreuse color it had been before.

"Mrs. Wayne always hated this room. Her mother in law never let her alter a thing in the house. She'd be very grateful to you for changing it," Alfred had commented when I'd brought home paint cans and rollers. I'd laughed and we'd gotten to work.

My own bed, a queen sized four poster my father had bought me, sat under a picture of the Eiffel Tower I'd taken myself on a visit to Aunt Sophie. I was standing at the base of the tower, looking up at an angle. It was a gorgeous picture that my mother wanted to submit to a travel magazine. I'd refused, wanting to keep that one moment sacred in my heart. Because it was the day that Bruce Wayne gave me my first real kiss.

_*Flashback*_

_The click of the shutter alerted Bruce to the fact that I'd taken yet another picture of him and he frowned._

"_Lane, c'mon. You're missing Paris with all those pictures of me. You see me every day!" he exclaimed, trying to swipe my new Nikon from my hands. I giggled, dancing out of his way._

"S'il vous plaît _Bruce? One more?" I begged, pouting. At thirteen, I'd realized that with one little bat of my eyes, I could have Bruce wrapped around my finger. He sighed, but smiled brilliantly for the last photo allotted. I laughed._

"Magnifique!_" I crowed, throwing my hands in the air. He shook his head before glancing down the road._

"_C'mon Lane! Let's hit the Eiffel Tower!" he said, pulling me over. I allowed myself to be towed, snapping pictures of stupid things on my way._

_We both paused at the base, staring at it in awe. I'd seen and heard so much about the landmark, but seeing it in person was overwhelming._

"_Whoa," I breathed, craning my neck to see more. Suddenly, I heard the tell-tale click that signified Bruce had taken a picture. I turned towards him and he was blushing gently._

"_Sorry, but it was a perfect shot…" he trailed off. I laughed, shaking my head before holding my hand out for the camera._

"_Ok, Mister Wayne. I need one picture of you in front of it. You promised!" I added at his pointed look. Again, he was putty in my hands and stood like a trooper as I shot the picture before we traded places and he took the picture of me._

"Aimeriez-vous une photo ensemble, mademoiselle?_" asked an older gentleman who'd seen us posing. I grinned and nodded before grabbing Bruce's hand and standing next to him in front of the tower._

"_What did he ask?" Bruce questioned._

"'_Would you like a picture together, miss?'" I translated. He nodded understandingly before we smiled at the camera and the man took the picture._

"Merci monsieur, Nous apprécions vraiment- _BRUCE!" I screamed as I was suddenly lifted bridal style into his arms._

"_One more? Uh… _S'il vous plaît_?" he asked in broken French. The man nodded, positively beaming and Bruce gave me a look._

"_Go with it!" he ordered, chuckling. I laughed and posed with my arms out as the man took another picture before handing the camera back and meeting up with his wife, who smiled sweetly at us as she took the man's arm. My heart swelled at the pure love on their faces and I sighed._

"_They're so happy. I wish I could feel like that someday," I breathed. I looked back to Bruce, before realizing I was still in his arms._

"_Uhh-Bruce? You can put me down now," I reminded. He set me carefully on my feet, but still hung onto my waist. I furrowed my brow at him, but froze as I met his eyes._

_They were darker than I'd ever seen them before, even when he was upset, and trained on me. It was like he was staring right through me, into my soul. His intense gaze unnerved me and I felt my heart speed up. Gradually, bit by bit, we leaned into each other and his lips met mine._

_It was as if the entire world stopped, as cliché as it sounds. Everything melted away except him as he cupped my delicate cheek in his palm and I placed my hands on his broad chest. The kiss was gentle and tender, beyond what I'd ever expected my first real kiss to be. Nothing prepared me for the rush of emotions that flooded my brain._

_Bruce had _never _given a clue that he felt more than friendship for me. I'd known my entire life he harbored a secret crush-and gradually, love- for Rachel Dawes. He'd confided in me that he could picture them married someday, having kids and raising a family in Wayne Manor together. So why was he here with me, giving me my first real kiss? It had always been chaste pecks on the forehead, cheek, or the crown of my head. What had changed?_

_We finally broke apart, my breathing ragged and hands shaking. We stood in silence until I remembered where we were. Quickly, I turned around and snapped a quick picture of the tower once more, before spinning around and masking my whirling thoughts._

"_Okay, I'm ready to go!" I chirped, a little too high-pitched for my normal tone and started for the waiting car at the end of the lane. Bruce silently followed me, not saying a word until we reached the hotel._

_*End of Flashback*_

Later, when I developed the film from that trip, that last picture was one of my best. It captured everything about Paris in one single shot. It also left me a reminder of my first kiss- the best kiss I'd ever received.

I smiled in spite of myself. Only thirteen and receiving my very first kiss from my best friend- who was 18 and quite the looker if I do say so myself.

Collapsing on my bed, my thoughts turned yet again to Bruce Wayne. Questions swirled through my head: Where was he? Was he okay? Did he have a family? He was only-

"Oh my GOD!" I shrieked, tumbling to the floor in shock. Picking myself up, I bounded over to my wall calendar to check the date. _The eighth of February_…

"_Fils de pute!_" I cursed. I couldn't believe that I could have forgotten.

_Bruce's 30__th__ birthday was in eleven days. The 19__th__ of February._

"No," I whispered. It couldn't be happening. It couldn't already be February. Not now. Not when Earle was on my back.

The month of February had been especially hard for Alfred and I since Bruce left. The first birthday after his disappearance, I'd locked myself in my dorm room at U of G and wouldn't come out for anything. It was only when my roommate, Cara, threatened to call campus security on me did I let her in.

"I never liked that old hag anyway," I muttered out loud, dropping into the plush purple chair by the large bay window that looked out onto the front lawn.

Ever since then, Alfred and I had shut ourselves in on the 19th of February and grieved quietly for our lost family. Even Rachel joined us on rare occasions, but didn't stay too long after receiving her job as Assistant D.A. That alone kept her busy enough to keep sane around this time of year. She didn't have the time to mourn like I did.

I felt tears begin rolling down my cheeks as I clutched Fluff, the stuffed rabbit I'd had since I was born, closer to my chest and inhaled a shaky breath.

_Seven years and it still hurts so much,_ I thought bitterly. Grabbing a blanket, I made my way to the only place I could seek solace from-Bruce's old room.

The old, wooden door creaked ominously as it swung open. Everything was how I'd left it the last time I couldn't sleep and crept in here in the middle of the night. Although I hadn't told him, I was sure Alfred had figured out that I swapped rooms sometimes. If he did, he thankfully didn't mention it to me.

Wrapping myself in the sheets that still smelled faintly of Bruce, I remembered the first time I'd used Bruce's room-I was ten and had just had the worst nightmare in my short life.

_*Flashback*_

_ I screamed shrilly, sitting straight up in the unfamiliar bed at Wayne Manor and clutching at the collar of my pajamas. Sweat streamed down my forehead and body as my breathing was ragged and my heart raced._

"Mon Dieu," _I whispered, still trying to control my pulse. I brought my knees up to my chest and listened for the tell-tale signs that Alfred of Bruce had heard me and were coming to see what was wrong._

_ I had been staying at the manor while my parents helped Aunt Sophie move back to France and get settled there. They'd felt Alfred was the perfect guardian and I spent almost every day there after school anyway. But lately, I'd been having horrible nightmares that eventually I would forget and slip back to sleep._

_ Tonight was different. Tonight, I'd dreamed that Bruce was hurt. And I couldn't help him._

_ Tears began falling onto my bare knees as I remembered the struggle I'd endured. It was Crime Alley- the same alley Bruce's parents had been killed in- and Bruce was fighting the man that had killed his parents. I remembered screaming; for him to get away, to not do this, stay away from him, until I'd heard the gunshot and Bruce's body collapsing on the ground._

_ That's when I woke up, screaming._

_ Practically falling out of bed, I scrambled to the door and wrenched it open in my haste to get out of the room. I padded quietly down the hall to the familiar door and pushed it open._

_ Bruce was fast asleep, his tousled brown hair splayed all over his pillow and his face peaceful. The covers were drawn tightly to his chin, taut as they threatened to come undone from the bed._

_ "Bruce? Bruce, are you awake?" I whispered, gently shaking his shoulder. He moaned quietly, opening one eye to peer at me._

_ "Lane? What's wrong?" he mumbled, rubbing sleep from his eyes. At fifteen, his voice was deeper and manlier. It sent a wave of comfort through my body._

_ "I-I-I had a…nightmare," I stuttered, looking down in embarrassment. _

_ "What about? Are you okay?" he asked, slightly more awake and no doubt noticing the tear tracks on my cheeks. He sat up and pulled me closer to him._

_ "It was- about you," I choked out, "You were…in that…alley and he-he-" I couldn't finish, bursting into another round of tears. Bruce caught my meaning and pulled me into a tight embrace._

_ "Shhh… its okay, Laney. I'm here and I'm safe. I'm right here. Nothing's going to happen to me," he murmured, stroking my hair._

_ When Bruce had turned thirteen, my mother warned me that he was growing up and wouldn't have time for someone as young as me anymore._

_ "He's a young man now, my love," she'd said, "He will want to spend time with others his age."_

_ In that moment, with Bruce rubbing my back gently and soothing my frazzled nerves, I knew my mother was wrong. I knew in my deepest of hearts, that Bruce would always make time for me. He would always have a place in his heart for the little three year old who'd barged into his room and asked him to play princesses with her. It would always be Bruce and Laney._

_ "Bruce?" I asked after this epiphany had hit me, "Can-can I stay in here with you? Please?"_

_ Without another word, he scooted over and made room for me next to him, tucking the sheet around me and hugging me close._

_ "I love you, Bruce," I spoke softly, resting my head against his chest and hearing his heart beat out a steady thrum, "_Je t'aime._"_

_ "I love you too, Laney," he replied, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of my head._

* * *

_Translate:_

_S'il vous plaît: Please_

_Magnifique: Wonderful_

_Aimeriez-vous une photo ensemble, mademoiselle?: Would you like a picture together, miss?_

_Merci monsieur, Nous apprécions vraiment-: Thank you sir, We really appreciate-_

___Fils de pute!: Son of a bitch!_

___Mon Dieu: my God_

**A/N: Hello! I think a week is enough for updates since school for me will be starting up soon and I really want to pound out some extra chapters before then. Okay, guys: the Thursday I posted the second chapter, I got 127 hits on this story! I was mindblown. Thank you to all that visited this story and favorited it or put it on alert or even put me on alert! It made my day. See you next week! ~Brooke**


	4. An Unexpected Intruder

**Disclaimer: I do not own Batman**

_Thanks to kindleflame5, Nymartian, Rissa 3 (Guest), ZabuzasGirl, and j3ntheninja for your reviews!_

~The Next Day~

The next day ran much like the previous-me scheming to kill Earle and dump the body somewhere remote, him trying to convince me to hand over the shares, me running to Fox to complain and threaten to quit, etc. By the middle of the day, all I wanted to do was curl up, watch a movie, and pig out on whatever ice cream Alfred had bought from the store before he left. I was depressed without Alfred's company and hoped he would be back within the day.

For some reason, my thoughts were becoming more and more trained on Bruce. Every free moment I had, I would find myself reminiscing in the past. It did nothing to help my already pissy mood and I began to take it out on Jessica.

"Okay, Ice queen. What's the deal?" she demanded, after I'd stalked away from her when she'd brought the wrong file to me on accident. It was an honest mistake that could be fixed in two seconds, but I'd bitched her out for five minutes. I rubbed at my eyes, no doubt smearing my makeup, and sighed.

"I'm sorry, Jess. It's just- it's February and…" I trailed off, defeated. She made a noise of understanding, but didn't try to comfort me.

I'd told Jessica about my past with Bruce Wayne when we'd first become friends. She was there for me when Earle had him officially declared dead and was more than happy to delight in my fantasies about having him-taken care of. The more elaborate schemes we indulged over a bottle of red wine or two, always falling asleep giggling or passing out from too much alcohol. Those were the good days.

"I think you should leave for the day. Lord knows you have enough over time stored to do it and old man Earle would just foul you up even more if you stayed," she said, patting my shoulder. I shrugged.

"But then you would be left alone with him. I couldn't do that to you," I explained. Before she could answer, the intercom on my desk buzzed.

"_Miss Martin? I need a large coffee, black, and a protein bar. ASAP,"_ came the squawking voice of our boss. I stared at it for a moment, before picking up my bag.

"On second thought, see you tomorrow!" I chirped, almost running out the door. I could hear Jessica's laugh behind me as I stepped into the elevator.

The day was slightly chilly, and I pulled my black peacoat closer around me and fixed the purple scarf around my neck as I stepped out onto the streets of Gotham. There were people everywhere; visiting street vendors, going into the shops nearby, catching up over coffee and a scone. The other reason I'd stayed in Gotham besides the obvious was because it was the perfect people-watching place. The public did all different things and if you had the time and patience to watch, you'd see some interesting things.

I made my way down the sidewalk to a little Italian restaurant- a family owned place called _Boccelli's. _Walking in, I requested a table for one and perused the wine list.

"What can I get you?" asked the pretty waitress after I'd figured out what I wanted. I ordered a regular coke and the lasagna and she left to place the order. Once again, my thoughts turned to the first time I'd been here-with Bruce.

It was my sixteenth birthday and Bruce had come home from college to surprise me. We'd spent the whole day together, shopping and taking in the sights before our stomachs reminded us that we needed to refuel. We'd stumbled upon the place and Bruce insisted on treating me.

Thinking of that day made me remember the promise I'd made Lucius the day before. Leaving Gotham seemed to be the only option to finding Bruce. If I could just find something to clue me in on where he'd gone…

But that was stupid. They call it "without a trace" for a reason. Lucius' words echoed through my head. _"If he wanted to be found, he would be…"_ Still, I had to try, didn't I?

I shook myself out of my thoughts. I couldn't think about Bruce now. I just wanted to enjoy a peaceful lunch by myself, no one coming up and disturbing me-

"Delaney? Delaney Martin?"

_So much for that idea, _I thought bitterly, turning to see who was calling for me. My eyes widened as I took in the figure waving at me.

"Christian Mays!" I exclaimed in disbelief, rising from my seat and enveloping him in a hug.

Christian Mays was the reason I'd graduated college. He'd also studied business and began to tutor me when I'd given up hope of keeping my grades up. We'd parted ways after graduation and last I'd heard he'd started his own company in Chicago.

"Wow, Chris. I can't believe it's you!" I cried out, breaking our hug and grinning madly. He held the same expression.

"Me either. I haven't seen you since we left school. You look… great," he blushed, running a hand through his hair.

"So do you. What happened to my little nerdy tutor? You're all grown up now!" I laughed, examining him.

His brown hair was slightly long and tousled from his playing with it. His wide smile showed off pearly white teeth and his dark brown eyes seemed to shine from his excitement. It was a nice change from having to peer at them through his thick, black framed glasses he used to wear in college. His body was what surprised me the most.

Before, he used to be small and wiry. His scrawny body was the source of many jokes in class. Now, he was built! His forearms weren't overly muscled, but were subtly large. His torso was impressive, even through his nicely tailored suit.

All in all: he was hot!

"Well, I didn't think the whole 'book worm nerdy twerp' look was very popular with the ladies," he teased, "So I started working out, and I even went back to swimming!" His eyes lit up.

He'd been on U of G's swim team back in the day. He'd always said he was more comfortable in the pool than in the classroom.

"It's the only place where I feel myself. Where I don't have to worry about people making fun of me," he'd confided to me one night when we'd been up late studying.

"That's great, Chris!" I cheered, as my food arrived. I invited him to sit and we began to talk.

It was great. Not once did I think about Bruce Wayne, or work, or anything else but the fun times we'd had in school and our lives afterwards. He'd explained that he was in Gotham on a business call, trying to start up a branch of his company here. I in turn told him about my job at Wayne Enterprises and the life I'd crafted after college.

It was near 3 o'clock when we'd finally paid our bill and exited the place. Before we parted, he offered me a ride home. That was when I hesitated for the first time since we'd started talking.

Did I want him to see the Manor? What would he think? I'd never told him about my relationship with Bruce Wayne, only that every February I'd take a break from school to go home and be with my family.

"I-I-I'm fine with just taking a cab…" I started, tentatively.

"Yeah right!" he scoffed, "No friend of mine is taking a disgusting cab home! C'mon, my car is right over there. I'm not taking no for an answer!"

He ignored my protests the whole time and towed me towards a nice Mercedes before opening my door and depositing me in the front seat.

We made our way out of the business district and towards the palisades, me chewing on my nails the entire time. Christian didn't seem to notice my anxious expression, only furrowing his brow when we drove farther and farther out without me telling him to stop.

"Wow, you live far! If we go any more we might end up at…" he trailed off as the looming manor came into view.

"Turn here," I directed quietly, refusing to meet his stunned gaze that was immediately trained on me at my voice.

We pulled into the driveway and he shut off the car, sitting back and waiting for me to make a move. I blinked, brushing a stray hair out of my face and took a deep breath.

"Our families were good friends. I grew up with him and moved in after college to take care of his old butler," I explained shortly. Chris knew who 'he' was and nodded understandingly.

With just that nod, my mouth took off. I told my whole history with Bruce to Chris, right up until today. It felt good to tell someone else how I felt instead of bottling it up inside like I had been. Christian just listened, taking my hand at the harder parts and giving it a squeeze when I told him about the day Bruce disappeared. When I was done, he only asked a few clarifying questions and I answered them gratefully. After that, he walked me to the door and we exchanged phone numbers with the promise to "do this again." Just before I entered the house, I reached up and brushed my lips against the corner of his mouth.

"Bye Christian," I said, before disappearing inside and closing the door on his taken aback face.

The next few hours I spent tidying up my room and anywhere else that needed cleaning up. I refused to make Alfred have to lift a finger until he was refreshed from his journey. After that was finished, I sat down to a movie that I'd been waiting to watch for a while and promptly fell asleep.

When I woke up, the house was dark and the movie was finished, playing the main menu over and over again. I rubbed my eyes and stretched, reaching for my phone to check the time: 3:29 A.M.

_Damn, I'll never fall asleep now, _I groaned internally. I sat up; realizing that a blanket I hadn't grabbed before I fell asleep fell off my lap and onto the floor.

_Alfred's home! _I thought excitedly. It was too early to go and greet him, so I grabbed my things, shut off the T.V. and made my way to my bedroom. Before I reached my door, the sounds of someone moving around in another room reached my ears. I froze.

Alfred surely wouldn't be up at a time like this and his room was in another part of the house. Which meant only one thing-someone else was in the house.

Silently, I dashed to my room and grabbed the first weapon I could find- my old economics textbook.

It roughly weighed about 7 pounds and could do some serious damage. I'd thrown it at an old boyfriend once and almost gave him a concussion.

_That was a good day. Showed him to cheat on me with my roommate,_ I thought smugly. Slowly, I made my way to the door I'd first heard the noise from- the master bedroom.

_Oh HELL no! Not Thomas and Martha's old room! Over my dead body! _My anger flared and I slowly opened the door, wielding the book menacingly.

A dark figure was standing thankfully with their back towards me, glancing out the window. I shrank against the wall, trying to stay out of the reflection in the windowpane and keep the element of surprise. They were tall with broad shoulders. Against my small frame, my odds were hilarious. Still I walked as silently as I could, raising the textbook over my head and bringing it down with a grunt.

Fast as lightning, the figure dodged the blow and grabbed my arm, sweeping my legs out from under me and dropping me. I hit the floor with a thud, before trying to scramble back on my feet. My arm was caught again and I let out the most ear shattering scream I could muster, hoping and praying for Alfred to hear me. I wrenched my arm out of their grip and bolted for the door, only to be cut off by the impossibly fast intruder. Still screaming, I dove for the textbook, only to have it smacked out of my hand and across the room.

"Stay away from me!" I shrieked, trying to find a way to escape. I tried to put distance between us, taking a defensive stance. It was nothing short of pathetic, but it was all I had. The figure came at me and I swung as hard as I could, feeling satisfied when I hit flesh. That feeling was short lived as I swung again and my hand was caught mid blow. The person's other hand snaked over my mouth to cut off my scream.

_Oh God, I'm going to die! I'll be raped and murdered and who knows what else,_ my mind screamed. I thrashed around, trying to break free again.

"Delaney! Delaney, it's me!" the figure hissed urgently. Suddenly, the lights flicked on and I turned my head to see Alfred, his bathrobe hanging half off his body and his eyes wide with fright, staring at us in shock. I turned to see who my captor was when my eyes met a pair of familiar chocolate ones. The hand slid off my mouth and I gasped in astonishment, my heart freezing inside my chest.

"_Bruce?!" _I yelped, feeling faint.

"Hi princess," Bruce said weakly, a smile spreading across his face.

* * *

**A/N: *Dodges flying shoes* STOP IT! Don't hate on the cliffy! It's my favorite! *grins evilly* Okay guys, I won't be able to update next week because I will be on vacation without internet. So... if you want another update, you must review your little hearts out and I MIGHT update before I leave. Am I pumping for more reviews? Heck yes! I got over two hundred views on this story last week and only 5 reviews. I know you're out there! I can see you! Hahaha, jk. See you...? ;) ~Brooke**


	5. For Seven Years

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Batman**

**Thanks to ZabuzasGirl,Nymartian, LeleChaos, Ravenmore45, KathyWithTheClaws, Guest, j3ntheninja, The bat freak (Guest), Mel (Guest), Alexa D (Guest), and Mel. Again (Guest) for your reviews! :)**

_Previously: __I turned to see who my captor was when my eyes met a pair of familiar chocolate ones. The hand slid off my mouth and I gasped in astonishment, my heart freezing inside my chest._

_"Bruce?!" I yelped, feeling faint._

_"Hi princess," Bruce said weakly, a smile spreading across his face._

* * *

I stood there in a daze, reeling from the blow that my best friend was, well, back from the dead. No one moved as I tried to process what was going on.

He was dressed in muddy rags and there was a crude bandage wrapped around his left forearm. He was clean shaven and his dark brown hair was combed and slicked back out of his face, only slightly ruffled from our struggle. His face had sharpened over his absence, making his chin and cheek bones more prominent. He stood with his hands at his sides, straight and proud. But his eyes were what made me see the truth.

Since he'd disappeared I'd dreamed that one day I'd be somewhere in Gotham and, suddenly, I'd look over and meet his eyes. I'd know immediately who he was and we'd finally reunite- Bruce and Laney: the dynamic duo. Standing in his parent's old room, staring at him and not quite believing he was really there and that I was just dreaming; I looked into his eyes and it all clicked for me.

He was here.

And I was _furious_!

I launched myself at him, beating at his chest and screaming profanities in a mixture of English and French. Not anticipating my attack, Bruce fell backwards onto the floor and I toppled with him.

"_Où diable étiez-vous, idiot stupide? J'ai attendu sept ans pour que vous appelez, ou d'écrire, et dire que vous étiez d'accord! Et vous tout d'un coup spectacle et tout ce que vous pouvez dire, c'est "HEY PRINCESS?" Je dois vous tuer! Je vais vous tuer! Où est une batte de baseball? Une fois que je suis avec toi, vous souhaitez vous n'avez jamais été né Bruce Wayne!" _Alfred finally got to me and hauled me off of Bruce, still thrashing and bellowing in French. Bruce just stood and brushed himself off, watching me with an amused smirk in place.

"I missed you too, Lane," he snarked, sending me into another fit of rage.

They both let me curse him into oblivion until I began to lose steam. I sat heavily on the edge of the bed, catching my breath while Bruce kneeled in front of me and took my hands in his. I glowered at him while Alfred quietly excused himself, giving us privacy.

"Please, Laney," he begged quietly, "Give me a chance to explain everything and then you can hate me all you want." I shook my head.

"I don't hate you, Bruce. I'm hurt and confused and tired and all of these other emotions that I can't even _begin_ to sort out right now. I think I'm done being angry though," I smiled as his quiet chuckle surrounded me. Without another word, he swept me up into a bone crushing hug and I buried my head in his broad chest. With that gesture, it was as if a great weight was lifted off my shoulders. The thing I'd been praying so long for-Bruce's safe return-had finally been granted, so I let myself be calmed by the steady thrum of Bruce's heart.

"So …what did you say in all of that? All I could pick up was 'idiot' and 'baseball bat.' It didn't sound very promising," he chuckled as I blushed and pulled away from him.

He led me out of the room and into the kitchen where Alfred was making a pot of coffee for us.

"I must say, Miss Delaney, you nearly gave me a heart attack with your screaming," he chastened. I shrugged.

"Well, I wasn't really thinking about your health, so much as trying to get away from the maniac who was going to kill me," I retorted, elbowing Bruce in the stomach. I was pleasantly surprised when he swiftly dodged it.

"Hey, you were the one who came at me with an economics textbook, nonetheless," he snorted. I had to give him that one.

Alfred and I took a seat at the island while Bruce fixed us all a cup of coffee and began his story.

"So I guess I should start after I left the courthouse…"

The story took more than two hours to tell in its continuity. He told us about visiting Carmine Falcone at his restaurant, who showed him that he had everything to lose: Alfred, Rachel and I. After being roughed up by some of Falcone's thugs, he'd hopped a trading ship and sailed for Asia, where he learned what it meant to be a criminal. He also told us about the first time he stole.

"It was so that I wouldn't starve. I lost many assumptions about the simple nature of right and wrong. And when I traveled, I learned the fear before a crime and the thrill of success. But I never became one of them," he promised. I took his hand in mine and kept it there until he was finished.

After getting involved with a smuggling ring stealing Wayne Enterprises equipment (this I'd laughed whole-heartedly at the irony), he'd been sent to prison where the inmates ganged up on him on a regular basis. After taking on six men at one time ("That's my boy!" I'd cried out before being shushed), Bruce was thrown into solitary confinement. There, he met Henri Ducard who was a messenger for Ra's al Ghul. He explained that Ra's al Ghul was the leader of a select group of fighters in what was known as The League of Shadows.

"Fighters as in…what, ninjas?" I snickered. Bruce just looked at me and I fell silent.

"Wait, you're serious?" I asked in disbelief. He nodded and I sat there for a moment, before looking up at him again.

"That's badass, bro," I said finally. Alfred chuckled as Bruce's drink of coffee he'd just consumed shot out of his mouth and narrowly missed me. He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it with a shake of his head and continued.

For months, he lived in the monastery training in the techniques of theatricality and stealth while also becoming a skilled fighter. His final test was to overcome his fear and use it to his advantage in the ultimate fight against his trainer- Henri Ducard.

"I was told I could be initiated as soon as I did one more task…I had to execute a prisoner who'd murdered his neighbor," he looked down as I unwillingly let a gasp slip past my lips and clutched his hand tighter. I couldn't imagine how hard that would have been for him.

"I told them I couldn't do it," he whispered, intertwining our fingers together. He grasped my hand like it was a lifeline. "I looked at that man, and I saw you two and Rachel…and my parents…and thought of what you'd say to me if you knew. You'd be so ashamed of me and I didn't want to be like _him_." He spat the word out with complete repugnance and I knew he was talking about Joe Chill. He glanced back up and held my gaze as he continued the account.

When he realized that Ra's al Ghul wouldn't let him leave alive, he fought the entire army, burned down the monastery, and saved Ducard's life before making his way into the village and leaving the unconscious mentor with a trustworthy man.

"And then I called Alfred," he finished. Alfred sent me a smile as he began cleaning the dishes we'd used.

"Imagine my shock when there was a collect call from Tibet saying that Bruce Wayne was alive and well and was ready to come home," he teased.

"Wait," I interrupted, holding my hands up, "you said _how_ you came home, but you didn't say _why._ C'mon Bruce, it's been seven years. You could have stayed away, but you didn't. Why?" I saw him and Alfred exchange a look.

"I came back to save my city from the criminals and corrupt," he answered nobly, "I came back because it's time that Falcone and anyone else who thinks they own Gotham is put into their place. That not everyone can be bought."

"But you said you tried that the day you left and he just ignored you. What makes this time different?" I asked.

"Because this time, I won't be going as Bruce Wayne," he answered simply, "Bruce Wayne can be ignored or picked off. But a symbol? As a symbol, I can't be paid off or corrupted. I can do things that Bruce Wayne can't. That's why it'll work."

"And what were you thinking this symbol might be, Mr. Ignored-and-picked-off?" I mocked sardonically.

"I'm not sure yet. But that's why I have you, isn't it?" he smirked as I rolled my eyes.

"That's all I'm good for: making up a secret persona to keep my best friend's ass from being grass," I muttered.

"Don't quit your day job," Alfred remarked. I snorted before realizing what he'd said. My eyes widened.

"Oh crap! I'm never going to be able to get up in time for work," I groaned, rubbing my eyes.

"I'm sure Mr. Earle won't miss you for one day, Miss Delaney. I'll contact Wayne Enterprises tomorrow for you and tell them you'll be out. In the meantime, I must be going back to sleep. Good night Master Wayne, Miss Delaney." He gave the two of us a nod and disappeared back to his room.

"Good night Alfred," I called back. When we heard his door swing shut, Bruce rounded on me.

"You work for Earle?" he asked.

"Yeah. I'm his executive assistant," I sighed, standing from my stool and stretching.

He contemplated for a moment. I popped my back and yawned, finally feeling the effects of being up at almost six in the morning. My eyelids felt heavy and I struggled to stay awake.

"What happened to Princeton?" he asked at last.

"Changed my mind," I mumbled.

"Because of me?" he demanded. I shrugged.

"Changed my mind," I repeated, staggering towards the stairs. I heard his footsteps behind me before he suddenly picked me up into his arms and carried me up the stairs. I was too tired to protest, instead just leaning against his chest and closing my eyes.

My favorite sound was the steady drumming of Bruce's heart. It helped me remember that he was really there with me and so far, he wasn't going anywhere.

Carefully, trying not to jostle me, he walked up to my door and placed me on my bed. Tucking the covers around my body, he bent down and kissed my forehead like he always did when I'd go to bed.

"Goodnight, Laney," he whispered.

"Bruce?" I called sleepily. I felt his hand on my forehead as he turned back to see what I needed.

"What's up?" he murmured. I yawned and snuggled deeper into the bed, opening one eye to peer at him.

"I'm glad you're back. I missed you," I said. He was silent and for a moment, I'd thought he'd left.

"I missed you too, Princess" he whispered softly, brushing my hair away from my face.

"As much as Rachel?" I asked again, closing my eyes. I wasn't sure what possessed me to ask, but I did.

"Maybe even more," I barely heard him chuckle as my eyes closed and I drifted off to sleep.

* * *

_Translations: Where the hell were you, stupid idiot? I waited seven years for you to call, or write, and say you were okay! And you all of a sudden show up and all you can say is "HEY PRINCESS?" I ought to kill you! I will kill you! Where's a baseball bat? Once I'm through with you, you'll wish you were never born Bruce Wayne!_

**A/N: I'm BAAAAAACK! Hahaha, so yay Bruce is back! And I had a lot of fun making Delaney go off on him in french. :D So, tomorrow is the day I start school and I might not post that much only because I'll have a ton of homework and I want to stay ahead of the chapters I post. But ya'll can thank my aunt for letting me use her laptop over vacation so I could write more. I promise that I'll try to work over weekends but not making promises. My parents aren't very supportive of the whole 'spending my life on the computer' thing. :( Anyway, hope to see you when ever I post! and as always PLEASE REVIEW! ~Brooke**


	6. Making Friends With The Bats

**Disclaimer: I don't own Batman**

_Thanks to ZabuzasGirl, Ravenmore45, Nymartian, 3DY3Namite, and kindleflame5 for your reviews and to kindleflame5 for your PM!_

~Later that morning~

I awoke after a few hours of needed rest to see Alfred bringing a tray of enough food to feed a small country into my room.

"Good morning, Miss Delaney. I brought you breakfast and the news that I called into Wayne Enterprises for you." He set the plates on my lap and I dug in hungrily. It'd been a while since I'd had time for such an elaborate feast in bed. Usually, it would be me scrambling to get to work on time before Earle got there. Now, I could relax and enjoy a late breakfast with my best friend-_wait a minute_.

"Where's Bruce?" I asked, taking a drink of my orange juice.

"He went down to the courthouse. Victor Zsasz's trial was today and he was hoping to catch a glimpse of Miss Dawes," he explained. I set down my fork, shaking my head.

I knew Bruce would've wanted to see Rachel as soon as he could. But I was hoping he would've waited until Alfred and I could cook up a press statement or something, explaining why he'd disappeared for seven years and then suddenly reappeared like nothing had happened.

_Yeah, don't think 'trained by assassin ninjas' would go over well for the company,_ I thought sarcastically. Then I remembered something very important and almost had food come shooting out of my mouth.

Bruce was alive, which meant that Alfred wasn't majority share holder anymore, which meant- _Bruce could stop Earle from going public!_

Climbing out of bed and narrowly missing upsetting the tray of half eaten breakfast, I grabbed for my cell phone and…paused.

"Alfred, did Bruce take a cell phone with him?" I asked.

It had occurred to me that I didn't know what had happened to Bruce's first phone. No doubt it had gone out of service for seven years and was probably discarded in an alley way somewhere.

"I believe he did. I took the liberty of purchasing a new one when Master Wayne first contacted me," he said, straightening the dangerously tipping dishes.

I dialed in the new number and sat, waiting while it rung.

"_Alfred, I thought I told you I was on stakeout-"_ came Bruce's annoyed voice on the other end.

"What are you doing in public?" I demanded, "And what do you mean 'stakeout'?"

"_Lane? How did- never mind. Look, I needed to do a few things and-"_

"You could be seen!" I berated angrily, "I don't care how important it is, if you were exposed before we could come up with a reasonable excuse, everyone would have _a lot_ of explaining to do. Now, come home so we can work out some reason-"

"_Look, Delaney, I'm in disguise," _he interrupted, aggravated, _"No one would recognize me anyway. Quit worrying. I've got to go."_ Before I could retort, he'd ended the call and I sat back, hurt.

Bruce never called me Delaney on purpose. It was always Laney, Lane, or Princess. The only time he called me by my full name was when he was angry or annoyed with me. Without warning, tears began to bud in my eyes and I became angry with myself.

Why in the world was I crying? It was a stupid name for God's sakes.

_It's because he was mad at you for calling, _said a tiny voice in the back of my mind, _He was always happy to hear from you and now he doesn't want to. Plus, he's with Rachel. _

"Miss Delaney?" Alfred asked timidly, taking notice of my wounded expression. I shook myself out of it and stood up, placing an indifferent mask on my face.

"If you need me, I'll be in the study working on a few things for Mr. Earle," I breathed, trying to act cold. I grabbed my laptop and strode down the hallway, opening the door of Thomas Wayne's private library and shutting it behind me. There, I let a few stray tears fall, sniffling.

The last time he'd called me Delaney was the day of our first huge fight. It made a hurricane look like a sprinkle of rain.

After kissing me in Paris, Bruce and I started growing apart. I resented him because he'd acted like nothing had happened that day at the Eiffel Tower. I wasn't sure if he thought it was a mistake or if it was just too awkward to talk about. So I started rebelling against everyone, a sign I was growing into the cliché teenage hellion nightmare. Bruce stayed more and more at Princeton and barely talked to me. One night, a couple of weeks after starting my freshman year at Gotham Private, the animosity between us had finally come to a head

_*Flashback*_

_My high heels click-clacked on the tile floor of the manor as I stalked away from Bruce, beyond furious. I heard him enter and close the door before starting after me._

"_Laney, come here," he ordered, firmly. I ignored him, beginning for the stairs to my room._

"_Laney, get back down here now," he growled dangerously. I continued to climb the steps as if I didn't hear him._

"_DELANEY MARIE! YOU LISTEN TO ME RIGHT NOW!" he roared. I paused on my journey, in veiled surprise. He'd never called me by my real name. Instead of scaring me, however, it made my blood boil._

"_What Bruce? What the hell do you want? You're not my father!" I screamed, turning and vaulting myself down the steps at break-neck speed._

"_What the hell was that back there, huh? A party? Really? I thought you were smarted than that! You're fourteen, Delaney!" he yelled. _

"_So? I'm in high school, Bruce! What you just left, so don't start acting like you know the world backwards and forwards because you don't!" I screeched._

"_You're right, I don't. But that doesn't mean that you do either. You're a freshman, for the love of God! And you're dressing like a street walker! Look at you!" he gestured to my body and I looked down._

_I was dressed in the shortest mini-skirt known to mankind, with a pink tube top and black, 3 inch stiletto heels. For fourteen, I walked fairly well in them. My face was caked with make-up and my hair was sprayed within an inch of its life into an enormous poof that had to have raised my height at least another four inches. With my heels, I was close to Bruce's stature of six feet._

"_So?" I asked haughtily, crossing my arms across my chest. He laughed mockingly._

"_Just listen to yourself! You sound like a spoiled little brat! What happened to you, Laney? I leave for college for a month and all of a sudden, you turn into a Barbie doll that goes to parties thrown by people older than _me_!" his gaze burned into mine, filled with anger and disappointment. My own eyes narrowed, the heavy liner I'd used making them seem even angrier._

"_Don't you dare act so innocent, Bruce Wayne. I've seen the pictures of you and those sluts you call dates traipsing back to your dorm at Princeton at three in the morning. I've seen you walking into the frat parties that I _know _have kegs inside. Don't start preaching to me about right and wrong until you can take responsibility for _your_ actions!" I bellowed._

"_And what about where I caught you, huh? Were you ready to take responsibility for a pregnancy? Were you ready to have a baby? Did you think about that when you had your skirt hiked up and sitting in that guy's lap? Think about your actions, Delaney!" he screamed in my face. I reached up and slapped him as hard as I could across the face and he reeled back from the blow._

"_How do you know I haven't? What makes you think I'm so innocent?" I hissed evilly. It was a low blow and I knew it, but seeing the realization dawn on his face made me cheer on the inside. I'd finally caught Bruce by surprise and victory was sweet._

"_What happened to you? What happened to my best friend?" he whispered in agony. I scoffed._

"_She grew up, Bruce. It's what happens in life." I retorted, starting for the stairs, before turning back._

"_Oh, by the way. You didn't think about your actions the day you kissed me, huh? You didn't say a word to me until we left and then you acted like nothing happened! News flash, Bruce! It did happen! And you didn't even have the guts to own up to it!"_

"_You're bringing _that_ into this?" he asked, following me._

"_Yes I'm bringing _that_ into this! You didn't know how hurt I was when you didn't say a word to me after it happened! You acted like it was a total mistake and I began to believe you. Imagine thinking that your first kiss was a farce! That one special moment in your life meant nothing!" Tears began streaming down my face as my true feelings erupted out of me. For so long, I'd ignored the pain of his dismissal. Now, I couldn't stop the betrayal from slashing at my heart._

_He reached out for me, and I knew he only wanted to quiet me. He only wanted me to stop crying. So I wrenched myself out of his reach as choking sobs tore through my mouth._

"_I HATE YOU! I hate you, Bruce Wayne! I never want to see you again!" I screamed finally, turning and sprinting to my room. Once there, I collapsed against the locked door and wept. I already regretted my words and actions that night, but the pain kept me from unlocking the door and running into his arms like I always did when I was upset. This needed to be said and I couldn't take anything back. _

_I feel asleep curled on the floor by the door, unaware that Bruce was in the same position on the other side._

_*End of Flashback*_

That next morning, I'd looked in the mirror and was disgusted with both my appearance and my actions the night before. I'd been crushed to learn that Bruce had taken the early flight back to Princeton, convinced it was because he hated me. For the next few weeks I fell into a depression, only going to school and coming straight back to my house. I avoided the manor like the plague and stayed in on the weekends so as to not run into Bruce by accident. I began to stop eating and sleeping; my weight dropping from a healthy 110 pounds to a weak 87. I began to frequently have nightmares and my grades dropped.

It was my father who took things into his own hands. After catching me when I'd collapsed from exhaustion one day, he took me to a hospital to have me checked out. When the doctor diagnosed me with depression, he'd called Bruce himself.

"She's not well, Bruce. She needs her friend here. Please hurry."

The next morning, I awoke to Bruce sleeping peacefully with his head on my bed and my hand clutched in his. He'd woken up to my hand running softly through his hair. His own grief showed plainly on his face, in the dark black circles under his eyes and the gaunt look about his face. We didn't speak until I sat up and he pulled me into a gentle hug, burying his face in my hair.

"I didn't mean what I said," I'd croaked.

"I know," he'd whispered brokenly.

Pulling myself out of the memory and returning to the present, I straightened and focused on the task at hand. Jessica had sent me an email, reminding me about the board meeting the next day that I had to attend. I groaned, not looking forward to having to hear the stuffy old men fight over who earned more last year and who was more important to the company. Plus the fact that I knew I was the object of a lot of their naughty secretary fantasies. Ewww.

For the rest of the morning, I worked on reports and presentations Earle needed in the upcoming weeks. I lost myself in the tedious tasks until a figure snuck up behind me and watched me, completely silent.

"What are you doing?" he asked finally in a quiet voice. I yelped in shock, clutching my rapidly beating heart and swiveling around to see him cocking his head in confusion.

"Jesus, Bruce! Warn a gal next time!" I snapped, still miffed at him after our beef that morning.

"Earle's going public." He didn't ask, only stated the fact. His fingers swept across my computer, pulling up Earle's records. I slapped his hands away and closed the cover.

"As a matter of fact he is. Like I was trying to tell you earlier before you hung up on me, we need to come up with a statement about your disappearance so that Earle has to go through you to do it. You still hold the majority shares of Wayne Enterprises," I said matter-of-factly, taking in his appearance.

He was wearing an orange hoodie with a denim jacket over it that matched the old pair of jeans he'd used. His face was shadowed from the brim of an old baseball cap and his face was dirty. I raised an eyebrow.

"_This _was your disguise?" I asked arrogantly.

"It worked, didn't it?" he retorted. My face darkened.

"Get out, I have work to do," I growled, grabbing my laptop. To my surprise, he did leave and I sat back down to work. Unfortunately, his reappearance scrambled my mind and made it hard for me to concentrate. After making the same slide for a PowerPoint three times, I grunted in frustration and snapped off the computer, stalking into my room to take a hot shower.

After I was clean, and in a better mood, I walked back to the study to see Bruce cross-legged on the floor. Surrounding him were newspaper clippings, pictures, and a notepad on which he was scribbling furiously. He'd changed out of his hobo clothing and into a pair of grey sweats and a dark blue sweatshirt. His hair was combed back, like when I'd first seen him, and he was clean shaven again.

"What in the world are you doing?" I asked, twirling a piece of my wet hair around my finger.

"Research," he answered shortly, picking up a picture and studying it. I peered over his shoulder and looked at it myself.

It was Sergeant Jim Gordon from the Gotham City Police Department. He was standing outside of a building, looking over his shoulder.

Gordon was the cop Alfred and I'd filed the missing person's report with all those years ago. He'd also been one of the first cops out combing the city for Bruce.

"I was with him that night," he'd said, "I was there when he was a scared little boy who'd just lost his parents. Now, I want to be there when we find him."

Suddenly, a small squeak made both of us look up from the picture. We didn't see anything and shrugged it off until we heard it again. This time, Bruce stood up and peered over in the corner. I watched him carefully.

A tiny vampire bat flew in the corner of the room, trapped where he couldn't get away. It screeched with fear at not being able to find a way out. Bruce just stared at it. He'd been afraid of bats since he was eight, when he fell down the old well in the garden and broke his arm. They'd attacked him while he sat down there for hours, waiting for someone to find him.

"Blessed bat again, sir," explained Alfred, bringing a tea tray for the two of us, "They nest somewhere in the grounds."

The two of us watched wearily as he gazed at the mammal with such intensity, I wondered if he could hear its thoughts.

"Bruce?" I asked timidly. He focused on me and I saw a spark of curiosity in his hazel eyes.

"Change into something sturdy," he ordered, making his way out of the room, "And help me find that old climbing rope."

Alfred and I exchanged a puzzled look, but left to do what he'd asked us to do. I changed into a pair of old jeans and a T-shirt before pulling on my old chucks and tying my still damp hair into a ponytail.

I made my way downstairs where Alfred and Bruce were pulling a long blue rope out of a broom closet. Bruce rested it on his shoulder before grabbing my hand and leading me out the door and into the garden.

"What are we doing?" I asked, as we came to a stop by a patch of over grown grass and weeds. He let go of my hand and passed me the rope as he began pulling up the brush.

"Cave exploring," he muttered. To my surprise, the boarded up remains of the well he'd fallen into appeared from under the vegetation. I stared on in shock as he ripped the boards up with little to no resistance and began tying one end of the rope to an old rusty hook on the side. From there, he stood on the edge and began tying the other end around his waist.

"Are you insane?" I bugged out. He looked up at me.

"Yup," he smirked before repelling down into the well.

For a while, all I could hear was the sounds of Bruce moving around at the bottom of the shaft. The scraping of his shoes against the rocks and then… silence.

"Bruce? Are you okay?" I called down. No answer. My foot tapped nervously against the ground as five minutes passed…ten…twenty…

"Lane!" he cried. I yelped and almost toppled over into the well after him. I peered over the edge to see his victorious face. He climbed up in no time, pulling the rest of the rope with him and swinging himself over the edge and onto solid ground. He picked me up and swung me around, laughing joyously the whole time.

"What did you do, make friends with the bats or something?" I teased when he finally set me down. If possible, his smile widened and he laughed.

"Something like that," he grinned.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry I haven't updated lately, but homework and extra curricular stuff made the past two weeks SUPER busy. I litterally had something going on everyday this week. But here is chapter 6 with a little Bruce/Laney flashback action. You had to know that kissing your best friend would have some repercussions, right? ;) Thank you to all who have reviewed/favorited/alerted/read this story and for your continued support. Until next time~Brooke**


	7. Return to Wayne Enterprises

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Batman**

_Thanks to ZabuzasGirl, Guest, grapejuice101, kindleflame5, highlander348, and Guest (2) for your reviews!_

~The next morning~

"Alfred! What is all this?" I cried, gaping at the island. He chuckled, stirring another bowl of pancake batter.

The counter was covered in breakfast foods of all kinds-fruit, meat, pastries and more. If you could eat it, it was there.

"I just thought that you could use a little pick-me-up before the meeting today," said a new voice. I turned to see a bed-headed Bruce traipse in after me and snatch a piece of bacon off the loaded plate. My eyes widened.

"_You _thought of this?" I asked in slight disbelief.

"A little credit please, Princess," he teased, "I _can_ whip up a breakfast feast for my best friend on my own you know."

"Really? I just figured seven years with a clan of ninjas might have dimmed your cooking skills a bit," I jabbed back, stealing the half-eaten piece out of his hand and stuffing it in my mouth.

"What makes you think _he_ cooked it?" Alfred said quietly, sending me a wink. I cackled as Bruce's face turned beat red and he sent me a mock glare.

It was times like these that made my heart swell with happiness. The playful banter and light teasing; I lived for that. It'd been too long since I could rib on Bruce and not feel guilty because he wasn't there to snark back or take it good naturedly. It had come to my attention that the house was full of life again after the return of its estranged owner. Now, the sun seemed a little brighter behind the dreary grey clouds and the smog didn't nearly seem so stifling.

"Yeah, make fun of the poor billionaire who just got home. Yuck it up," he rolled his eyes, a phantom smile ghosting his face, "The ninjas never made fun of me."

"The ninjas were too busy trying to kick your ass to love you like we do," I reasoned, pecking him on the cheek. I stood from the stool and grabbed a red delicious apple before making my way to my room to get ready.

I wanted to be comfortable, so I skipped the stilettos and instead paired an emerald green tunic and black pencil skirt with dark embroidered tights and my black boots. They came to about my mid calf and were flat, slightly bunching around the top. My hair was pulled into an elegant ponytail with a small poof at the front created by my bangs. My make-up was smoky and showed off my chocolate brown eyes. Finally, I put on the diamond heart pendant Bruce had given me for my 16th birthday.

"I look goooood," I giggled, twirling in front of my mirror. Pleased with my look, I grabbed my bag and laptop and headed back to the kitchen.

I found Alfred putting together a lunch for me at the counter and Bruce on the ground doing push-ups. I opened my mouth to ask what in the name of pants he was doing, but decided against it and just shook my head. I stepped around him and took the lunch from Alfred, peering inside and squealing in delight.

"Left over macaroni and cheese? You spoil me!" I cheered. He chuckled before handing me the keys to one of the cars.

"I felt you'd like the Lamborghini today," he said. I stared at the shiny silver key in awe as a resounding _thump _echoed through the kitchen and Bruce peered over the counter.

"_She _gets the Lamborghini?!" he yelped, picking himself up off the floor.

"We must go to the DMV and get your license renewed before you can drive yourself again, Master Wayne," Alfred explained. I finally snapped out of my car induced coma and flounced out the door.

"See ya after work!" I yelled back over my shoulder. I heard Bruce begin to follow after me and I laughed when I climbed into the front seat and he was right at my window.

"Now, be careful Lane. Please, and not just with the car," his hazel eyes bored into mine and I realized that he actually feared for my safety. I smiled, placing my hand against his cheek.

"I promise," I vowed. He grinned.

"Oh and by the way? You look beautiful today," he said just before I peeled out of the garage. My cheeks burned long after I'd pulled into traffic.

Bruce had always called me beautiful, and it had always made me blush crimson when he did. Especially when he'd do it in front of my school friends.

School when I was younger was hectic to say the least. When people learned I was one of Bruce Wayne's best friends, one of two things would happen: They would latch on to me like the bottom feeders they were growing up to be or they would _act _like they were latched onto me like the bottom feeders they were growing up to be. I couldn't tell you how many birthday parties I was invited to and then completely ignored in my life.

The logical reason would have been to deny being friends with him, but the tabloids caught us everywhere we went. After Bruce's disappearance, the frenzy reached heightened pitch before totally dropping off again after I couldn't answer the 'where is he?' questions. It was nice to just be able to focus on school and not worry about cameras being stuck in my face or questions being yelled at me in a grocery store or mall.

I pulled carefully into the Wayne Enterprises parking garage and searched for a parking spot that wouldn't hurt Bruce's precious car. As I passed a group of male coworkers loitering around, I smirked as their mouths dropped open and their eyes grew to the size of basketballs.

"You might want to close your mouths: you might catch flies," I advised sweetly, stifling my giggle at their priceless reactions. I strutted into the elevator that would take me to my floor before letting loose my pent up laughter.

As I entered the floor, I saw Jessica standing by the door waiting for me.

"You'd better get in there, the meeting's going to start soon," she said, handing me a notepad and pencil. I handed her the coffee I'd stopped for and breezed into the boardroom with silent confidence. I took my seat next to the window and away from the table as the members filed in. Most of them ignored me, some made nauseating gestures that made me want to run as fast as I could out of the building. I just gave them a tight lipped nod and proceeded to ignore them.

"Old bats giving you hell again, Miss Martin?" asked a deeper, charming voice. I grinned as the older man winked roguishly at me.

"Not any more than usual, Mr. Fredericks," I rolled my eyes.

Douglas Fredericks was Vice President of Operations for Wayne Enterprises. He'd known Thomas Wayne and his father personally and was another good friend of Lucius Fox.

"Well, if they keep bothering you, I'll handle it." I laughed before catching sight of Earle's face. I cleared my throat and Fredericks took his place at the table.

"Now, let's get started…" began Earle.

For two hours, the members argued about everything under the sun for the company. I mindlessly took notes, wondering about taking Bruce out to dinner after he released a statement to the public about his return. It wasn't until one of the financial interns began talking about the military branch of the company that I started to pay attention.

Wayne Military Technology was the development of weapons and intelligence for the U.S. Armed Forces. It was a particularly new division of the company that had raised quite a few eyebrows and questions-and loud protests from me.

"No, we are showing _very _healthy growth in these sectors," the intern said, bored to death.

"I don't think that Thomas Wayne would have viewed heavy-arms manufacturer as a suitable cornerstone for our business," protested Fredericks. The intern-a favorite of Earle's-just gave him a smug look as Earle left his position at the window.

"Well, that's 20 years ago… _Fredericks_," Earle snapped back, "I think after 20 years, we can allow ourselves to stop thinking about what Thomas Wayne would have done." The pencil in my hand almost snapped from the force I was gripping it.  
How _dare _he? How _dare _he think that he can change everything good about the company just because the man whose name rested above the door was gone? My temper flared and I took deep breaths to try and calm my heart before I made a scene.

_I need to be here when Bruce takes the company back. Then I'll get my satisfaction,_ I thought. Immediately I felt better and kept an impassive face, scribbling down what had just transpired for the observation file of the meeting.

"Thomas would probably not have taken the company public. But that is what we, as responsible managers, are going to do," he finished, pressing on the intercom button to summon Jessica.

"Jessica?" He waited, but didn't receive an answer. "Jessica? Where are you?" Again, no answer. Earle looked up at me and gave me a questioning look as my brows furrowed and I shrugged, not knowing what was going on. We both got up and made our way to the doors.

"Why is no one answering the phone?" he asked, wrenching the doors open.

"It's Wayne Enterprises, Mr. Earle. I'm sure they'll call back," answered a male voice that was definitely _not _Jessica's.

"Bruce?" Earle gasped, shocked, "You're supposed to be dead!" I peered over Earle's shoulder and mirrored his flabbergasted expression, only for a different reason.

Bruce himself was standing right behind Jessica, who held a golf club tightly in her hands as she prepared to fake a swing. He was dapper in a black suit and crimson tie with his hair slicked back elegantly.

"Sorry to disappoint," he shrugged unaffectedly.

By then, the entire board room was on their feet and clamoring to catch a glimpse of the pride and joy of Gotham and their company that they'd figured dead. I stepped back quietly, sitting back into my chair and trying to hide.

_What the hell was he doing?_ My head was spinning at the realization that a statement wasn't needed now that Bruce was out and about and someone had to have seen him. The press would now want to stay on top of Gotham's prince's sudden return home.

Bruce made his way into the board room after the pats on the back and handshakes of each member had stopped. He glanced over at me and I stood up, offering my hand.

"Welcome home, Mr. Wayne," I said coolly. He took it and winked at me.

"Thank you… _Miss _Martin," he replied devilishly. By then, the board had left and Earle shut the door before making his way over to us.

"Sorry about that, Bruce. You caught me off guard there. Welcome home, son." He took the hand Bruce had just retracted from me and shook it firmly. I gathered my things and began to make my way out the door before Earle stopped me.

"I'd like you to be present in my office, Miss Martin," he said. I nodded and led the way, slightly nervous as to why he would want me there.

As I reached for the door, Bruce jumped ahead of me and opened it, ushering me inside. As I passed him, he winked again. I took a seat the farthest from Earle's desk I could get and buried myself in my notes as Bruce took his seat and Earle poured him a drink.

"I'm sure you realize I can't stop the big machine. Too many wheels turning. We're going public," Earle started, handing him the glass.

"I understand," Bruce answered, "and I'll be handsomely rewarded for my shares." The tip of my pencil snapped as I pressed down with unintended exuberance.

_What the hell is he talking about?_ I screamed inside my head, reaching for a pen off Earle's desk. _What does he mean 'handsomely rewarded?'_

"I'm not looking to interfere," he continued, ignoring the fierce glances I kept throwing him, "I am looking for a job."

"Oh?" Earle said, surprised.

"I just want to get to know the company my family built."

"Any ideas where you would start?" The question made me hold my breath in anticipation and Earle leaned forward slightly, also awaiting the answer. _Don't say Applied Sciences. PLEASE don't say Applied Sciences…_

"Applied Sciences caught my eye," Bruce responded. Earle couldn't have looked more relieved while I tried vainly to hide my disappointment. _Couldn't have picked a worse place to go…_

"Fox's department. I'll let him know you're coming," he began to walk around to his phone before stopping.

"You look like him. Your dad," Earle mused, taking off his glasses, "You're the only one left of the Wayne family. This is where you belong. Welcome home." They raised their glasses in a toast while I shut the cover of my portfolio with excessive force.

After the phone call down to Fox, Earle had me escort "Wayne Enterprises new employee!" down to Applied Sciences. I led the way to the elevator, trying not to roll my eyes as Bruce continued to flirt with Jessica.

"I'll be back, Jess. I'm going down to see Fox," I explained, knowing that with Bruce's handsome face in hers; I could have told her I was having quintuplets with the muffin man and she wouldn't have noticed.

As soon as the elevator doors closed behind us, I rounded on him and tried smacking the back of his head. His ninja reflexes kicked in and he caught my wrist easily.

"Hey! What's wrong with you?" he demanded.

"'_I'm not looking to interfere. I'll be handsomely rewarded for my shares.' _What the hell, Bruce?" I squawked, the reins on my temper being unleashed full force. "And using your '_impressive golf swing'_ to distract Jessica? You don't even play golf!"

"Calm down, Laney," he chuckled arrogantly, "I'm only here to get close to the right people. If I'd said I wanted to buy back the company, Earle's guard would have gone up. Besides, I think it would do this company some good to go public." I gaped at him.

Was he really going to just stand by and watch as everything his family had built rotted away like the city itself? And what was with the arrogance he suddenly oozed? He'd never been one to flaunt his family's money and power around before. If anything, he thought it was a shackle-tying him to great expectations that he didn't want to fulfill. I suddenly got the feeling Bruce had changed more than the cat-like reflexes and taste for Asian culture he'd brought home with him.

As we got to the floor, Fox was there to greet us. I stalked away from Bruce as they began the pleasantries and began fiddling with some contraption on Lucius' desk.

"It's not ladylike to slouch, Miss Martin. Or play with someone's toys without asking," Lucius reprimanded gently, smirking. I pouted but sat up anyway and placed the thingy back where it was.

"I take it you know each other," Bruce commented, grinning at the strange interaction. I didn't answer him.

I knew it was childish to act like I was. But Bruce's complete lack of interest in saving his family's company irritated me beyond belief. It might have been arrogant of me to want to use him to my advantage, but he was my only chance to save Wayne Enterprises from Earle's greedy clutches.

Lucius sat down at his computer and began rattling off the list of Applied Sciences accomplishments… or lack-thereof.

"Environmental procedures, defense projects, consumer products," he turned in his chair to look up at Bruce, "All prototypes: none in production. On any level whatsoever."

"None?" Bruce looked mildly shocked. Lucius stood with his own perplexed expression.

"What did they tell you this place was?" he asked, giving me a look.

"They didn't tell me anything," Bruce explained. I shrugged.

"You didn't ask. You just went," I muttered, giving him my _I-told-you-so _look.

"Earle told me exactly what it was when he sent me down here," Lucius explained, flipping on the lights, "dead end. A place to keep me from causing the board any more trouble." He nodded his head for us to follow.

"Come on."

The three of us made our way down the rows of useless prototypes. Bruce shoved his hands in his pockets and turned slightly to Lucius.

"You were on the board?" he asked. Lucius nodded.

"When your father ran things," he explained.

"You knew my father?" Bruce was slightly excited, getting to meet someone who knew his father personally.

"Oh yeah," Lucius said nonchalantly.

"He helped him build the train. You know the monorail?" I said proudly, grinning up at Lucius. He chuckled as Bruce raised his eyebrow at me. I crossed my eyes and stuck my tongue out at him while he rolled his eyes at my juvenile behavior. We came to a stop at a toolbox looking container and Lucius unlocked it to reveal a tray of gadgets.

"Here we are: Kevlar utility harness, Gas powered magnetic grapple gun, the 350 pound test monofilament." Bruce picked up a clip for ammunition while I ran my fingers over the grapple gun. Lucius hadn't really shown me anything besides his favorite project to work on for a military assignment. And that hadn't even been finished yet.

"Wonderful project, your dad's train," Lucius called from where he'd disappeared to. Bruce threw the clip back and we caught up to him.

"Routed it right into Wayne Tower, along with the water and power utilities. Kind of made Wayne Tower the unofficial center of Gotham City. Of course Earle let it go to rot," he stopped again and pulled out a drawer from what I'd originally thought was a file cabinet. Instead, what looked like a suit of black armor glided out with the drawer.

"Nomex survival suit for advanced infantry. Kevlar biweave, reinforced joints," Bruce ran a finger over the chest plate.

"Tear resistant?" he asked.

"This sucker will stop a knife," Lucius explained.

"Bulletproof?" I glanced skeptically at Bruce. _What's up with all the questions, skippy?_

"Anything but a straight shot," Lucius shrugged.

"Why didn't they put it into production?" Bruce inquired.

"Bean counters didn't think a soldier's life was worth 300 grand." I stared at him incredulously. _That thing was worth 300 G's? Where the hell did that money come from?_

Lucius pushed the drawer back in and raised the ultimate question.

"So, what's your interest in it, Mr. Wayne?" Bruce leaned back a little, hands resting in his pockets.

"I want to borrow it," he said, casually. I gawked at him.

"Bruce, you just don't _borrow _a 300 thousand dollar soldier suit," I responded slowly. He shook his head.

"For… spelunking," he added. I blinked. _What the hell is that?_

"Spelunking?" Lucius asked disbelievingly.

"Yeah, you know, cave diving?" Bruce took a chance peering at my face while I mulled over my thoughts. He was going to use a 300 grand glorified cat suit to go _cave diving?!_ Did those ninja's crack him over the head one too many times?

Then it hit me. Whatever he'd discovered down that well the day before had sent his mind into overdrive. His words from the morning he'd returned echoed through my head.

"_I came back to save my city from the criminals and corrupt. I came back because it's time that Falcone and anyone else who thinks they own Gotham are put into their place."_

"You expecting to run into much gunfire in these caves?" Lucius joked, a smile fighting its way to the surface of his face. Bruce's face broke slightly also, before he turned serious again.

"Look, I'd rather Mr. Earle didn't know about me borrowing…" he started. Lucius stopped him.

"Mr. Wayne, the way I see it: all this stuff is yours anyway." The three of us shared a grin before we began to make our way back to Lucius' desk.

"Bruce," I said as we entered the elevator, "I gotta ask…_spelunking_?!"

* * *

**A/N: I'm alive! Yes I finally updated. I'll spare you the sob story of how I'm never home because of school stuff and just tell you that I have a Polyvore! If you don't know, Polyvore is a website where you can create collections of outfits and stuff. A lot of authors from use it and I finally made a collection for this story. The link is here and I'll try to get it up on my profile (it's weird that the links get messed up in the chapters).**

** princess_bat/collection?id=1893390**

**Anyway, thanks to everyone who favorited/alerted/reviewed and I apologize again for taking so long to update. I hope that by about early December, I'll be able to update regularly again. REVIEW! ;) ~Brooke**


	8. Connection

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Batman**

_Thanks to grapejuice101, ZabuzasGirl, highlander348, Roc2Roll, misslulucup, and kindleflame5 for your reviews (and your patience =D) _

~Later that day~

Bruce headed home after our adventure into Applied Sciences, the survival suit and other gadgets he'd wanted being placed gently and secretly into the back of the Rolls Royce Alfred had driven to pick him up.

"I'll be home around 5:30," I promised, watching them drive out of the parking garage. Suddenly, my phone buzzed in my purse and I pulled it out.

_Rachel Dawes_

"Uh oh," I muttered, pressing the accept button, "Hello?"

"_Delaney! Did you hear Bruce was back?" _Rachel demanded. I cringed.

If I told Rachel I hadn't known; she'd see right through me. I lived in the man's house for Pete's sake! If I told her I did know; she'd be crushed that I didn't tell her immediately after I'd found out.

"Well…" I trailed off, scrambling to think up some way to cover my tracks.

"_Why didn't you tell me?" _she asked, hurt. I groaned.

"Look, Rach. I'm sorry, but Alfred and I were just as surprised as you are. We just… needed some time to adjust. We were going to call you, tonight actually, and invite you to dinner," I sighed, blowing a stray hair away from my forehead.

"_No… it's okay. I have a lot of work to do down here at the office. I might stop by later though. Give Alfred my love."_ She sounded disappointed and I wasn't sure if it was because she had to work or if it was because I hadn't told her Bruce was home.

Rachel and I had never really been close. I secretly wondered if she was slightly jealous of the attention Bruce had always showered me with when we were younger. Since I was the youngest and the most dramatic (my rare tantrums were hell to deal with), if I wasn't included I would kick up a fuss and Bruce, unable to ignore my crying, would make Rachel modify their plans. And even then, Bruce would always keep a close watch on me and only half pay attention to their game.

I, on the hand, was very resentful of Rachel. She had always been brainy and beautiful, graduating with honors from Law School to the joy of her mother, a former worker at the Manor. Bruce used to praise her awards and accomplishments while he hadn't even been to my high school graduation. Academics seemed so effortless for her while I worked my tail off trying to get where I was. After Bruce's disappearance, we knit ourselves together with the agreement to put aside our prides and search for our missing friend. Now that Bruce was back in Gotham, I wondered how long that truce would last before we would go back to being silent rivals.

"Will do. See you soon Rachel," I hung up my phone as the door from the garage to the building slid open and I made my way back to my desk.

"What the hell was that?" Jessica exclaimed as I sat heavily in my chair, "Was that _really_ Bruce Wayne that was showing me how to improve my golf swing?"

"The one and only," I bit back, scrunching up my face into a cynical sneer.

"Wow," she sighed dreamily. I rolled my eyes as my office phone rang.

"Mr. Earle's office: this is Delaney," I said brightly in my business tone, reaching for my note pad to take a message.

"_Miss Martin? This is Emmeline Wilson from the Gotham Press, I was wondering if you could comment on Bruce Wayne's recent return to Gotham?" _came the professional reporter's voice. I swore under my breath. The paparazzi already?

"I'm sorry," _No I'm not, _"but I can't answer your question at this time. I'm afraid this is my work number so if you could refrain from calling it again, I'd be much obliged. Thank you!" I slammed the phone back in its cradle, rubbing my forehead in frustration. _This could be a long day…_

For once, I hated to be right.

Nonstop, my cell phone and my work phone rang with reporters from newspapers and T.V. stations; hounding me into interviewing with Bruce about his reappearance in Gotham. By 5:00, I was ready to jump off a cliff or push someone _off_ the cliff.

"No, I will _not _comment on Bruce Wayne or anything having to do with his life!" I snapped, losing patience and not bothering to look at the caller I.D.

"_Uhhh…I won't ask then,_" answered a hesitant, familiar voice after a moment. My eyes widened.

"Christian! I'm so sorry, the paparazzi have been hounding me all day and I thought… oh I'm _really_ sorry," I sputtered, blushing beet red. He chuckled.

"_It's okay. I was just… calling you to see how… you were doing. I saw that Bruce Wayne was back and… well… hi," _he said, stuttering. I giggled as his awkwardness. Once a nerd around girls, always a nerd around girls.

"Thank you. It's been pretty hectic around here, but I'll manage. What are you up to?" I asked, glancing at the clock. 5:25. _Yes_!

"_Sitting in a boring board meeting, talking to boring board members, and… trying to work up the courage to ask a pretty woman to dinner with me tomorrow._" My breath caught and a smile bloomed across my face.

"Well, she'd be pretty stupid to say no to a gentleman like you," I played along, shoving random things into my bag.

"_I don't think she could _ever _be considered stupid. Stupid is not part of her many character traits," _I laughed, heading for the door.

"What would some of those character traits be exactly?" I teased.

"_Beautiful, witty, charismatic, outgoing, bright; shall I go on?" _The smile never left my face.

"I really hope we're talking about me here, cause if we're not; I'll feel like an ass," I breathed. His laughter rumbled in the phone speaker and I chuckled along with him, waving goodbye to some of the other employees as I made my way to the car.

"_Yes: behind my complete bungling attempt at flirting, I am talking about you. So, what do you say?" _he asked. I detected a hint of excitement and it made my heart flutter.

"I say… see you at eight?" I unlocked the car and slid into the driver's seat.

"_See you at eight. Goodbye Delaney,"_ he murmured. I replied with my own 'goodnight' and hung up the phone, starting the Lamborghini and making my way home.

On the way back to Wayne Manor, I couldn't stop smiling. I had a date for the first time in… a while. My parents, Jessica, even Alfred had hounded me time after time for not going out on a date. The truth was, not a lot of guys asked me. And if they did, I was usually busy or just didn't want to go.

Pulling up to the garage, I pressed the button to open the door and pulled gingerly in beside the Rolls Alfred loved so much. I yanked my bag out from under the front seat and tossed the keys on the hook with the others.

"Alfred? Bruce? Are you home?" I peered into the kitchen and parlor. No one.

"If they jet-set off to Asia again, I swear…" I trailed off, shaking my head. I passed the broom cupboard on my way up to my room and paused, noticing the door slightly ajar. I opened it further and saw that the blue rope Bruce had used to explore the old well was gone.

"He went down there _again_?" I muttered. I rushed up to my room and pulled on a pair of old jeans and a sweatshirt and hurried back out to the old garden. I saw the rope hanging down into the hole and gingerly grabbed it, swinging my legs over the side.

"Okay, Laney. Just don't think of losing your grip and plunging head first into a bunch of jagged rocks. Nope, no fear now," I grumbled under my breath. I slowly repelled down the side, quietly screaming every time my foot slipped out from under me. When I finally got to the bottom, I said a silent prayer to the powers above for getting me down okay and peered into the depths.

A large opening, big enough for someone Bruce's size to fit through, loomed ominously in front of me. I pulled the rope with me as I crawled carefully through it.

"Bruce? Bruce, are you here?" I called through the darkness. I heard distant shuffling and suddenly a figure appeared in the shadows.

"Glad you could join us, Miss Martin," Alfred chuckled, holding a hand out to help me down. My feet landed on the hard ground and I looked around.

A waterfall roared in the background, splashing the surrounding rocks and giving the air a damp feel. The rocky cavern was uneven and if you weren't careful, you could take a nose dive. Bruce was hanging from Lucius' harness, nailing a thick steel cord into the stony wall.

"Okay! Give it a try!" he yelled out to Alfred. Alfred flipped the switch on a generator I hadn't noticed before and giant floodlights flickered to life.

"Charming," I grinned. Bruce turned slightly and gave me a lopsided smirk.

"At least you'll have company," Alfred commented, staring overhead. I looked to where he was observing and shuddered as the sounds of thousands of bats chattered and nested.

"Oh gross!" I cringed. Bruce chuckled.

"You get used to it," he said lowly, starting to repel down.

"This must be the lowest foundation of the southeast wing!" Alfred called over the rising din of bats and water. We trekked through the small stream over towards the looming arches of stone that held up the Manor. Making our way through them, we noticed what looked like an old elevator shaft with rusted chains hanging down. Bruce tugged on them, peering beyond and trying to make out what was there.

"You know," I started, also craning my neck to see, "in the civil war, your great-great-grandfather was involved in the Underground Railroad; secretly transporting freed slaves to the North. These caverns might have been pretty handy to have." I looked around to Alfred's bewildered look and Bruce's amused one.

"What? I did a little research project in high school on the Underground Railroad. Sue me!" I scowled. Bruce shook his head before letting go of the chains and walking over to a metal table lined with what looked like paint supplies. He picked up the survival suit and peeled off his shirt. I gasped, whirling around.

"Bruce! A little warning would be great!" I shrieked.

"Geeze, sorry Lane," he muttered. It took a few moments, but he finally told me it was safe. I turned around and my eyes boggled.

The suit fit him like a glove-a hard, Kevlar reinforced glove- and accentuated his built muscles. The boots gave him another two inches, making him tower over my small frame and only slightly larger than Alfred. All in all, he was very intimidating.

He grabbed the rope next to a spray can of paint and slung it over his shoulder. He made his way over to the waterfall, silent as a panther. It was no small feat in such a hulking costume, but somehow he barely made a sound. He stood just at the bottom and turned towards us.

"Alfred! Laney! Come up here!" he bellowed, gesturing us over.

"I can see everything all right from down here, sir, thank you very much!" Alfred called back. He cocked his head at me and I shrugged.

"If I fall on my butt, you're carrying me back!" I yelled, faltering over a particularly large rock in my path. In about twice the time it took for him to get there, I finally made it to his side. I clutched at his shoulder as the water began to soak me from head to toe.

We stood in silence for a moment as Bruce held his gloved hand out into the water and let the powerful torrent of water wash over it. I did the same thing, laughing quietly when mine was almost immediately forced down by the sheer power. Suddenly, Bruce's hand took mine and joined them together, holding them under the water. This time, I felt the resistance of Bruce's hand forcing ours to stay up and intertwined our fingers to keep them locked together.

It was a moment I would look back on for the rest of my life. It was the connection to Bruce I felt in that moment that kept the memory so alive. It was knowing that through thick and thin, whatever hell we would be put through; we knew that it wouldn't be alone. We would face whatever fate had to throw at us together.

* * *

**A/N: I'm back! But just for a short truth is, I miss this story and Delaney and Bruce. I was involved in my school's production of _Anatomy of Gray_ (a great play BTW) and have been feeling down since we closed a week ago. So, I heard my sweet little characters calling my name and jumped on this chapter. It's not my favorite, but the ending kinda redems it in my mind. Again, don't expect another chapter in the very near future as another production I'm in is gearing up, but I WILL return as soon as my life calms down. Thank you for your reviews, your patience, and most of all: your journey with Delaney and I as this story comes together. Virtual hugs and cookies! ~Brooke**

**P.S: If you didn't already know, this story was added to the community Gotham's Finest and I'm thrilled! I read some amazing stories from that C2 to get a feel of Gotham before writing this and it is a huge honor to be added to it. Thank you OCCentric for adding me! Much obliged! :)**


	9. Just The Beginning

**Disclaimer: I don't own Batman**

_Thanks to highlander348, ZabuzasGirl, Gentle Blossom, Guest 1, amsr, Camille, TheDrawer, Guest 2, Guest 3, and kitcool for your reviews and to kindleflame5 for your PM!_

The next day, Bruce and I were back in the cave, getting ready to modify the suit.

"Tell me…_ugh_…again…why I…_gah_...agreed…_meh_…to this?" I grunted, hefting a large steel frame to a more even part of the bumpy floor. Bruce rolled his eyes before easily picking it up and setting it where he wanted it. I blew a breath out in annoyance. _Show off_.

"Because deep down, you believe in what I'm doing," he answered easily, beginning to hang the suit up, "and if you hadn't volunteered; I would have had to kill you."

"Right, thanks for that," I muttered, handing him the bottom part of the suit. He sniggered, shaking his head.

"What did you do without me for seven years?" I asked sweetly, more to myself. I distinctly heard him mutter something about 'thank God ninjas are silent' but decided to let it slide.

Once we had the entire suit hung up, we studied it for a moment.

"It's missing something," I stated, cocking my head to the side, "Something… intimidating. I mean if you're going to put Falcone and all those other _Godfather _wannabes in their padded cells, you're going to have to increase the badass factor." He nodded, furrowing his eyebrows. It was silent before he snapped his fingers.

"I got it," he said, reaching out and grabbing what looked like a pile of rags. I watched as he unraveled the tattered cloth to reveal something that looked conspicuously like weapons.

They were armbands, detailed beautifully with intricate swirls and designs. I almost didn't see the sharp blades on one side. I reached a hesitant finger out to trace the non-lethal surface, slightly awed.

"Ninja toys?" I breathed quietly. He chuckled, taking them and fitting them around my wrist carefully. I froze; scared one wrong move could shred one of us to bits.

"See, this is a way to deflect their attack and defend yourself. If they have a sword that is," he instructed gently, pulling my hands up to protect my face. My eyes were still widened in wonder.

The same feeling I'd had the day before came rushing back to me. This connection to Bruce that I was aware of. He was letting me in on something that he felt very strongly about. Rachel didn't even know about this and here I was using ninja gear.

It felt _great_!

After showing me how to protect my face and defend myself, he took the gauntlets off and laid them on the table set up with paint supplies. He picked up a painting mask and handed it to me before putting his own on.

"All I need is an even coat on it. Think you can do that?" he asked, handing me the spray can.

"I think I'll manage," I deadpanned. He nodded, smirking, before grabbing an airbrush and making his way over to the survival suit.

For no more than an hour we covered our respective items in matte black paint. I watched Bruce after I'd finished the gauntlets as he vigilantly sprayed careful and even layers onto the chest plates; the faint blue tint of the Kevlar disappearing behind the dark coat.

"Thought you could use some lunch," came the distinct voice of Alfred. He was carrying a little cooler along with a set of rolled up plans to something. Bruce had just finished up the last layer on the suit and took off his mask.

"Thanks Alfred!" I chirped, taking a bite of my bologna and cheese sandwich. Bruce cleared a spot off the adjoining table and laid out the scrolls of paper, revealing something that looked like a mask with pointed ears. I jumped up and sat on the edge of the table as Bruce and Alfred bent over the papers

"We order the main part of this cowl from Singapore," Alfred began, pointing to the mask part.

"Via a dummy corporation," Bruce clarified.

"Indeed. And then, quite separately, we place an order to a Chinese company for these." He pointed to the 'ear' parts.

"Put it together ourselves," Bruce reveled, studying the picture.

"Precisely. They'll have to be large orders to avoid suspicion," Alfred nodded.

"How large?" I asked through another bite of sandwich. Alfred gave me a patronizing stare for my nonexistent manners and returned his attention to Bruce.

"Say 10,000," he answered straightforwardly. I almost coughed up my food as both Bruce and I stared at him in surprise.

"Well at least we'll have spares," Bruce said, clicking his pen away.

"Yes," Alfred agreed, missing the sarcasm.

With the suit and gauntlets drying, Bruce figured he might as well set up the secret elevator to the gratefulness of Alfred and I.

"I never liked hiking, you know," I added casually as Bruce installed the motor to the pulley system. He rolled his eyes.

I was singing a different tune however when Bruce asked me to test it. For a while I just blathered on about how hiking was good for me and it wouldn't hurt Alfred to work out more until Bruce picked me up and threw me over his shoulder.

"Stupid ninja strength," I grumbled as the blood rushed to my head. I could feel his shoulders shaking from his laughter.

I clung on for dear life as Bruce fired up the elevator and it rose to the top of the shaft. I carefully walked along a small pathway, shining the flashlight around and praying I wouldn't encounter any bats. I was thrilled when I noticed what looked like the outline of a door and I pushed on it. It creaked open and I saw… books. _The library?_

"What's up there?" Bruce yelled up to me.

"The study! It's a secret passage from the study!" I shouted back. I felt myself being lowered back down and Bruce soon climbed in with me. He pulled the lever and we rose once more, the rusty framing groaning and me clinging to Bruce's arm in fear.

"I really don't feel like falling to my death today," I explained at his bemused expression. He grinned as he slung an arm around my shoulders, pulling me against his side.

We entered the study and strode to find Alfred, who was surprised to say the least when we were suddenly behind him.

"Bloody hell you two!" he panted, clutching his chest. I laughed, rubbing his back in comfort.

"Sorry, but it was about time to… Damn it!" I shrieked, realizing the time. I tripped over myself trying to race to my room.

"Laney? What's wrong?" Bruce asked urgently, following me.

"I have a date!" I screamed back, slamming the door behind me and riffling through my closet.

It was silent for a moment. "With who?" he inquired mildly.

"Friend from college!" I bellowed through the door.

"Oh," was all he offered before I heard his retreating footsteps.

Grabbing my clothes, I raced into the bathroom and practically flew into the shower. It took me record time to wash my hair and body before falling into my room and toweling off. I glanced at the clock: 7:45. _Yikes!_

I wasn't exactly sure where Chris was taking me, so I fell back on a pair of dark wash jeans, a blue dressy top, and black glittery flats. I blow dried my hair stick straight and swept on some make-up. My leather jacket and purse came next, filled to the brim with the essentials like my phone and chap-stick.

A knock on the door alerted me that Chris was here. Alfred pushed it open and stuck his head in.

"Mister Mays is here for you, Miss Delaney," he smiled brilliantly. I could tell he was happy I'd finally agreed to go on a date with someone.

"Thanks Alfred," I giggled, kissing his cheek as I passed him. We made our way downstairs to the parlor where Christian and Bruce stood, discussing business.

"…since you came back, and the Wayne Enterprises stock value has skyrocketed! It's unbelievable really, how fast people are to invest in something so publicized." Bruce just nodded, catching sight of me and reaching a hand to shake Chris's.

"Well, it was a pleasure meeting you, Christian. But I won't keep you and Laney from your date," he winked at me and I shook my head.

"I wouldn't let you if you tried," I shot back, coming up and hugging Chris briefly. He gave me a beaming smile and I felt myself mirror it, excited to see what he had planned for us.

"I'm sure. I'll see you tonight, Lane," Bruce assured, walking away. Once he had disappeared, Chris turned to me.

"Ready?" he asked excitedly. I nodded and he took my hand and led me out to his car that was parked in the front. I waved to Alfred as we drove off the property.

"So, any chance you'll tell me where we're going?" I asked hopefully. He shook his head, laughing when I pretended to pout.

We drove out of the Palisades to a quaint little town just outside main Gotham City. A giant sign proclaiming '_CARNIVAL'_ made me gasp in exhilaration.

"We're going to a carnival?" I barely contained my squeal. Chris chuckled.

"Remember one of our fundraisers back in college? You wanted to throw a carnival but no one else wanted to do it. You told me it was because some of your favorite memories were at the kid's carnival by your house. And… I wanted to surprise you," he finished, a rose-colored pallor filling his cheeks. I sat back, a stupid grin on my face.

I couldn't believe he remembered that. I'd been so disappointed when my class had shot down the idea of a family carnival fundraiser on campus because I'd hoped it would bring back the great times I'd had at them with Bruce. Every time there was a traveling group in Gotham, Bruce and Alfred would steal me away and we would spend the whole day riding rides and stuffing ourselves with cotton candy and ice cream. It was one of my favorite childhood memories.

We pulled into the parking lot and Chris ran around and opened my door for me. I blushed faintly as he took my hand and helped me out of the car. We made our way to the ticket booth.

The entire date, I couldn't wipe the silly grin off of my face. We started at the scarier rides first before stopping at a booth and getting hot dogs with the works and a soda to share. Then we moved on to the many games, trying every time to win something.

"No, I promise it's just what I wanted," I laughed, hugging the stuffed penguin closer to my chest. Chris was slightly miffed when the carnie worker would only allow me to select from the bottom row.

"Well, when you win something for your date, you want it to be the giant stuffed unicorn on the very top!" he pouted jokingly.

"'_It's so fluffy!_'" we both mimicked the little girl that had passed us and pointed the toy out to her father. He laughed, smoothly grabbing the hand that was closest to him. When I didn't pull it away immediately, his grin grew impossibly wider.

We drove away from the lights of the carnival, Chris easily handling the car while still holding my hand. We drove up to the manor and he shut off the engine.

"Thank you, Chris. Tonight was great," I said as we walked up to the door.

"I'm glad you liked it," he shrugged. We paused on the steps and he leaned in and kissed me.

It was perfect. A night that couldn't have gone better ended just how I'd wanted it to. The date, the guy, the kiss: it was all wonderful.

His lips were soft against mine, the hand he wasn't holding mine reaching up and cupping my cheek. I wrapped my arms around his neck, holding him closer.

We broke apart, both grinning widely.

"Good night, Laney," he whispered. I reached up and kissed him again, practically glowing.

"Night," I said, watching him as he got back into his car and drove off. I sighed blissfully, opening the door and stepping inside.

"Laney? Is that you?" I heard Bruce ask.

"Yeah, I'm home. Hey Bruce, have you ever thought about donating to a car- _What the hell happened?_" I shrieked, catching sight of him limping towards me.

He was bare chested, a large purple bruise forming on his side as he cringed and lay gingerly on the couch. I rushed over, gently ghosting my finger across it.

"It's nothing, Lane," he muttered, gasping when I'd accidently prodded it too hard.

"Bruce Wayne, don't you dare tell me it's nothing! What happened?" I demanded, fixing him with a glare.

"I went to Gordon for some information. He didn't take to it lightly and I… had to jump off the roof," this last part he tried to say quietly to slide past me, but I heard it just fine.

"You _what?!_" I fairly screamed, jumping out of the position I was in next to him. He rolled his eyes.

"I'm fine, Lane," he muttered.

"_Fine?_ You call looking like you were hit by a truck fine? Jesus Bruce, you could have been seriously hurt doing this!" I ranted.

"_This _is going to happen a lot more now. This is just the beginning, Laney, and I can't stop just because a slight mishap getting away from the cops." He was annoyed, his brow furrowing into a hard line and his brown eyes blazing.

"Yeah, what kind of ninja would you be then?" I mumbled sarcastically, then sighed, "Look, it just scared me a little to see you hobbling in with a bruise the size of Texas, saying you've been jumping off rooftops to get away from cops. I overreacted and I'm sorry." We were both silent for a moment.

"If it bothers you, you don't have to be a part of this," he murmured quietly, brushing back a piece of hair that had fallen over my forehead. I stiffened.

Was he trying to say he didn't want me in… whatever he was doing? Was he trying to push me away? My anger flared and I forcefully grabbed his cheeks in my hands, compelling him to look at me.

"Listen to me," I hissed, my own eyes flashing dangerously, "I'm already in too deep to bail out now. We're in this together now. No matter what, I'm going to be there. _And you can't stop me._" We stared at each other for a moment, before a wide grin slid onto Bruce's face.

"That's my girl," he said.

* * *

**A/N: Hi guys! It feels awesome to be back on after a while. Sorry to keep complaining but I swear my schedule get busier everytime I look at it. Honestly, I was debating whether to put this story on hiatus until things calmed down but you can thank the author of one of my favorite stories on here for updating today and putting me in a good mood. So, here I am! What did you think of Laney's first date with Christian? Like it, love it, hate it? Let me know in a review! Thanks to everyone who put this story on alert/favorite and who put ME on alert/favorite. See you next time! ~Brooke**


	10. The Key Word Here Is 'We'

**Disclaimer: I don't own Batman**

_Thanks to Kindleflame5, ZabuzasGirl, scarlet tribe, Guest 1, highlander348, ILuvOdie, and Guest 2 for your reviews on Chapter 9 and Kindleflame5, ZabuzasGirl, Guest 3, highlander348, Guest 4, josephguy217, and Guest 5 for your poll reviews!_

* * *

The next day, Bruce drove us to work together. He was chomping at the bit to take the Lamborghini for a spin since going to the DMV and receiving a new license.

"I swear if you go over 50 on this street, I will kill you!" I threatened, grasping the 'oh shit' handle over the door as Bruce gracefully maneuvered the speedy car through the narrow streets. He rolled his eyes, a move I'd noticed him doing a lot since coming back home.

"Will you relax? I'm a great driver," he replied smoothly.

"Tell that to the squirrel we almost pancaked pulling out of the driveway," I muttered under my breath.

"Should have moved," Bruce reasoned.

I snorted and nearly fell out of the door once we parked. Bruce helped me up and brushed me off before taking my arm and strolling to the elevator, letting me enter before leaning forward.

"Meet me in Applied Sciences during lunch," he whispered, backing up and letting the elevator carry me up to my floor.

When I got there, the message light on my phone was blinking. I picked it up, ready to take notes.

Most of them were from the press, digging for information on Bruce while others were for Earle on work related business. A cargo ship had recently sailed from Asia with valuable Wayne Enterprises goods and was on schedule to arrive in a few days. That one Earle would like.

One of the last messages was from my mother. I was slightly confused as to why she would call my work phone when I kept my cell phone on me at all times.

"_Hi honey, its mom. I couldn't get a hold of you on your cell and Alfred said you were busy. I was just wondering how you were. I heard Bruce was back and wanted to check on you. Have you made plans for his birthday yet? If you haven't, give me a call and we can work something out. Your dad sends his love! Goodbye Laney baby." _I erased the call and sat back.

I'd always flipped out over Bruce's birthday, sad that he wasn't going to be there to celebrate with us. Now that he was back, we actually _did_ have to celebrate it. Quickly, I dialed the home number. It rung twice before the soothing voice of my father filled my ears.

"_Hello Delaney,_" he greeted. I smiled.

"Hi Daddy." Calling him 'Daddy' made me remember when I was little and he'd give me piggyback rides or hold my hand when we'd cross the street.

"_To what do I owe this pleasure, honey?_" he asked.

"What, I can't call my parents without a reason?" I teased.

"_No._" he deadpanned.

"Exactly, so is Mom there?" I laughed. He chuckled.

"_One moment,_" I heard him call for my mother and her footsteps as she approached him.

"_Hi sweetie,_" she said.

"Hey mom, I got your message," I replied.

"_Oh good, so have you thought of anything?" _

"Not really," I sighed, slinging an arm over my chair "I've been busy with work and Bruce coming back and it totally slipped my mind. Would you be able to put something together?"

"_Sure thing baby. Any preferences?" _I thought back some of the things Bruce had told me about in the recent conversations we'd had.

"Food-wise? Nothing too heavy: Bruce has a sensitive stomach. And we'll have it in the ballroom at the manor. Other than that, just keep it simple and you have free reign." Giving my mother control would be one less thing to stress about and I knew she would make everything perfect.

"_Roger that! Get some rest honey, and don't let that old geezer get you down!_" I laughed before saying goodbye and starting in on some paperwork.

Lunch rolled around and I made my way down to the Applied Sciences to visit Bruce like he'd asked. When I entered the floor, Bruce was standing by taking inventory of some products. And by taking inventory, I mean playing around with them.

"Oy! You're going to break those!" I scolded, smirking. He didn't even flinch.

"Am not," he muttered.

"What did you need me for? It looks like you've got a lot on your plate," I ribbed.

"Funny, Lane. Real funny," he sneered. He took my hand and led me over to where Lucius sat at his desk.

"Well, what is it today? More spelunking?" he asked, removing his glasses.

"No, today it's BASE jumping," Bruce smirked.

"BASE jumping," Lucius said calmly.

"BASE jumping?" I asked, "That like… parachuting?" Bruce nodded.

"Kind of. Do you have any… lightweight fabrics?" Lucius thought for a moment, before he smiled.

"You know, I think I have just the thing," he motioned for us to follow him as he picked up a small container and set it on a table. He unlatched it and yanked out a black fabric.

"It's called memory cloth. Notice anything?" We both shrugged. Lucius smirked as he pulled on a black glove.

"Regularly flexible," he began; straightening the cloth out, "but put a current through it…" he pressed a button on the glove and placed it close to the fabric, which jumped up at the touch,"…molecules realign, it becomes rigid."

"What kind of shapes can you make?" Bruce asked, running his hands over the popped up fabric.

"Can be tailored to fit any structure based on a rigid skeleton," Lucius said.

"Too expensive for the army?"

"I don't think they tried to market it to the billionaire, spelunking, BASE jumping crowd," he joked, smiling. Bruce turned slightly in towards him, serious now.

"Look, Mr. Fox…"

"Yes sir?" Lucius also turned, giving Bruce his undivided attention. I'll admit, it was odd to hear an older man like Lucius refer to Bruce as anything superior.

"If you're uncomfortable…" Bruce started again, but Lucius stopped him again.

"Mr. Wayne, if you don't want to tell me exactly what you're doing: when I'm asked, I don't have to lie. But don't think of me as an idiot." The look he gave us was stern, serious. I scoffed internally. Lucius Fox was far from an idiot.

"Fair enough," the two of them nodded before Bruce nonchalantly turned his head to the left.

"What's that?" he asked nodding. We turned and all I could see were two giant wheels under a black tarp. _No. Freaking. Way._

"The Tumbler?" Lucius smirked, "Oh, you wouldn't be interested in that."

Which was how the three of us found our way to the trial room, specially formed to test the equipment made in Applied Sciences, and piling into the giant tank-like vehicle. Lucky for me, there was a tiny backseat that only one person could fit into. Bruce helped me into it before jumping into the driver's seat. The engine roared and we took off, practically flying around the room.

"She was built as a bridging vehicle. During combat, two of these would jump over a river towing cables," Lucius explained over the loud roaring of the Tumbler's engine. Bruce didn't seem to hear him, throttling it harder and grinning. I was slightly scared of the animated glint in his eyes.

"Over here, on the throttle, flip that up and throttle up: this will boost you into a ramp less jump-not now!" It was too late. Bruce had eagerly pressed the red button, sending all of us flying back hard into our seats.

"Bruce! Slow down!" I screamed, clutching the back of his seat in terror. Lucius removed Bruce's hand and disengaged the throttle.

"Not-not now, sir," he warned. A cool female voice announced that the afterburner had disengaged. Bruce laughed, giving Lucius and I a look. I clutched the material of the seat next to me harder before glaring at him.

"We never could get the damn bridge to work but… this baby works just fine," Lucius chuckled. Bruce jerked the wheel and we came skidding to a stop. He breathed out loudly and ran his hand across the wheel tenderly.

"So, what do you think?" Lucius asked, smiling. Bruce just grinned at him.

"Does it come in black?" he asked. I scoffed and rolled my eyes.

"Okay, backseat girl wants out now!" I fairly yelled, slapping Bruce's shoulder. He opened the hatch before jumping out and helping me stand. I was slightly wobbly and felt my knees begin to give way when suddenly; Bruce scooped me up into his arms.

"You okay there?" he asked, concerned. I nodded.

"Just need to get my sea legs," I joked. Instead of letting me down like I thought we would, he carried me back to Lucius' desk and sat me in the chair.

"I'm fine, really," I protested, "but just for future reference; I won't be riding in that backseat unless it's life or death." The men chuckled.

That was where we said our goodbyes, Bruce offering to walk me up to my floor.

"I won't be able to bring you home tonight," he said, pressing the button to my floor. I gave him a quizzical look.

"Why?" I asked.

"There's some…_business_…I need to take care of tonight," he emphasized, eyeing the woman entering the elevator carefully. I caught his meaning and nodded.

"Alright, I'll just let Alfred know to come pick me up," I said, quietly. When the doors slid open, he took my waist and led me to my desk.

"I'll see you tonight," he whispered, kissing my cheek gently.

"See you," I murmured back, palming his cheek and smiling up at him. He grinned a lopsided smile and strolled away. I hadn't sat in my chair for two seconds before Jessica pounced, accusing eyes trained on me.

"What the hell?" she demanded, "Did _Bruce Wayne_ of all people just kiss you?"

"Will you quiet down?" I shushed, hurriedly, swiveling around to make sure no one heard her.

"Delaney Martin, are you _sleeping with him?_" she hissed, eyes widening. I scowled.

"It was peck on the cheek, for God's sake," I growled, "and _no_ I'm not sleeping with him!"

"He looked pretty happy for just a 'peck on the cheek,'" she raised an eyebrow, "and so did you. What's going on between you two?"

"Nothing! Nothing is going on between Bruce and I!" I shrieked, beginning to feel my anger flare up.

"Okay," she said skeptically. I groaned.

"Look, just… don't say anything about that around here. If it gets out to the press…"

"I got it, Del. Don't freak out." She still gave me an _I know there's something else _look, but thankfully returned to her desk. I in turn sat back at mine and stewed over what she'd said.

All my life, Bruce and I had been affectionate to each other. Other than the one kiss in Paris, we had never felt anything other than pure friendship. I'd never thought that our fondness for each other would look so odd to others. It was just something I was used to.

Did it look like there was something else there? Something that neither of us was aware of? I decided not to puzzle over it too much and turned back to my work.

After running errands and putting the documents to go public in order all day, I literally fell into the Rolls when Alfred pulled up to the curb.

"Long day, Miss?" he chuckled.

"You have no idea," I muttered.

After changing into some comfy sweats and a sweatshirt, I moseyed down to the kitchen and filched a bite of chicken and rice from where Alfred was stationed. He swiped at my hand and scolded me until we both heard footsteps anxiously making their way towards us.

"Laney? Laney!" came Bruce's uneasy voice. Quickly I sprinted out of the kitchen and almost ran into his hard chest. He caught my arms easily and steadied me. I noticed he was in the same outfit from his first day back when he'd gone to spy on Rachel at the courthouse.

"What's wrong? What happened?" I asked urgently.

"It's Rachel," he growled, taking my wrist and dragging me towards the study. I let myself be towed there, trying to understand why he was so worried over Rachel. He pried open the secret entrance we hadn't had time to securely lock yet and we hopped onto the elevator and rode down to the cave.

"What do you mean Rachel? Is she okay?" I asked, thanking my lucky stars I'd thought to worn slippers. Bruce rattled around by one of the tables before coming back with a set of speakers that he promptly plugged a small recording device he'd fished from his pocket into.

"_I need you at the docks Thursday," _came a raspy voice. I gasped.

"Is that…Falcone?" I asked in utter shock. Bruce hushed me before I turned my attention back to the conversation.

"_Problems?" _asked another, smoother voice. My fists clenched.

"Flass," I muttered. Bruce gave me a stiff nod, his brown eyes flashing dangerously.

"_I don't want any trouble," _Falcone continued, _"with the last shipment."_

"_Sure." _Flass sighed, "_Word on the street is you got a beef with someone in the D.A's office…"_

"_Is that right?"_ Falcone interrupted.

"…_And that there's a fat prize waiting for anybody willing to do anything about it."_

"_So what's your point, Mr. Flass?" _he asked. There was a small pause.

"_Have you seen the girl?" _A stiffened. They _were _talking about Rachel, _"It's a cute little assistant D.A. Don't you think that's a little too much heat to bring down, maybe? Even for this town."_

"_Never underestimate Gotham City," _Falcone said ominously, "_People get mugged coming home from work every day of the week. Sometimes-sometimes things just go bad." _The audio cut out and I stared at Bruce, watching his expression.

His face was tight with hidden emotion. His mouth was in a firm line and his arms were crossed securely across his chest, making his biceps bulge. His eyes were dark with fury and I found myself flinch slightly as they met mine.

The tension around us was stifling. The cliché 'you could cut it with a knife' suddenly made perfect sense in that moment. My mind raced around what to say to him and it could only settle on, "What do we do?"

Bruce glided over to a newly installed computer base and pecked at the keys for a moment.

"After I left the restaurant, I started to put these up," he held out his hand and I gingerly made my way over to him to see what looked like little black bugs in his palms.

"Pod Cams," I realized, recognizing the Applied Sciences prototype I'd helped Lucius log not too long ago. He nodded.

"A lot of them were installed to help the police keep tabs on the Narrows a while back before some of them started malfunctioning. Or so they thought," he entered a few more digits into the computer and suddenly, a street in the narrows popped up on the screen showing what looked like a drug deal going on.

"How did you get the IP addresses? The police force wouldn't even sell them back to us to fix them," I asked.

"Doesn't matter," he said, which to me sounded like code for _hacked, _"What matters is that we have eyes on the entire city including the docks and bridges that Falcone might use to make his drug shipment."

"Wait, _we_?" I asked, catching the key word. He stared straight into my eyes, slightly unnerving me.

"Laney, I need your help. You have to stay here while I go out there. I need to have eyes on Falcone and Rachel and anyone else who might want to cause trouble. Can you do that?" I broke our gaze and looked back at the monitor where the deal had been made and both parties walked away.

Bruce was asking me to help him protect Gotham. I'd never understood his plans before now, when Falcone so blatantly threatened someone he cared about so much. Now I knew that Bruce was beginning to take on the mask of a guardian of sorts, hell bent on keeping the streets of Gotham clean and somewhat safe. And he was asking me to lend a hand. It occurred to me that this would be dangerous-for him and myself. If he was found out, it could be mine and Alfred's-and Lucius'-lives on the line.

With unwavering determination, I brought my gaze back to his and nodded.

"Absolutely."

* * *

When Alfred came downstairs later to ask us why we hadn't come back up for dinner, he found me at the computer bay downloading software for the Pod Cams and Bruce at the belt grinder, smoothing out the edges of something he'd been working on. We'd been like that, working in blissful silence to try and complete his suit in time to intercept Falcone's shipment, for the past hour. Alfred made his way in front of the workstation as Bruce turned off the machine and pushed his glasses up. He sat back, admiring his work.

"Why bats, Master Wayne?" Alfred asked flatly. I got off the stool and peered over Alfred's shoulder to see.

It _was _a bat, cut from a sheet of steel and smooth along the edges. The tips of its wing span were sharp, no doubt useful in taking down thugs.

"Bats frighten me," Bruce said simply, "It's time my enemies shared my dread." He turned slightly and launched it cleanly through the air where it neatly lodged itself into a hunk of rock.

* * *

**A/N: So that poll I posted got some great feedback and the result is that: No, Delaney should not continue to date Christian. BUT! I'm not one of those Authors who say 'Hey, it's so many chapters in, let's make a relationship!' Umm...no. I promise that there will be a little Bruce/Delaney but I really want to build it up. It just seems right to let them feel it out themselves. Anyway, thanks for the feedback and just a side not, if you are a guest, you should leave your name or something so I can thank you a little more personally. It doesn't do you justice when all I know you as is 'Guest'. I'll be back when I can! ~Brooke**


	11. Pieces of the Past

**Disclaimer: I don't own any part of Batman**

_Thanks to Highlander348, Olivia, dream lighting, peygoodwin, guest, and Phoenix2002 for your reviews on chapter 10 and highlander348, ZabuzasGirl, Alexstarlight18, Hermione02, The Dark Knightress, scarlet tribe, kindleflame5, and Morning and Evening Star for your reviews on the authors note. Also kindleflame5, highlander348, and The Dark Knightress for your PM's._

* * *

"I'm so glad you called me honey."

I glanced up at my mother over my glass of sprite and smiled. She hadn't stopped thanking me since I'd called her that morning and asked her to lunch.

We were sitting at a small bistro that was only a five minute walk from Wayne Enterprises where I sometimes stopped to pick up a sandwich or some soup for Earle on occasion. It was quiet and fast, enough to get through an hour long lunch break without fearing for being late back to work. It was also quaint enough for my long overdue outing with my mom.

Since Earle had announced his plans to go public, he'd kept Jessica and I plenty busy enough at work to forget regular social contact to a minimum. My date with Christian had been a luxury. Plus, everything with Bruce and his "quest" had kept me from agreeing to lunch out earlier.

"I'm just sorry it took me this long to call you and set something up. You know how Mr. Earle can get," I explained. She nodded knowingly.

In truth, I was also a nervous wreck and needed something to get my mind off of what was going down tonight. Bruce was his usual calm and collected self—something I was nowhere near.

"If you keep chewing your nails, there will be nothing left to chew on, Lane," he'd mentioned over breakfast that morning, not glancing up from the morning's headlines.

"Just because you're incapable of realizing the absolute dangers and everything that could go wrong with this, doesn't mean I can't," I'd snapped back, rubbing my ring finger—another nervous habit, "And thanks for the obvious Captain Duh."

"Now, now you two," Alfred interceded quickly. I'd pushed my plate away from me and guzzled another cup of coffee, my third that morning. Now, in the present time I had the largest caffeine headache and nausea to boot. Lunch with my mother would—hopefully—make me feel better.

"Delaney, is everything alright? You seem tired and… nervous about something," Mom asked, her face drawn in concern.

I'd forgotten how observational my mom was too.

"I'm okay, Mom. It's just… the company going public and all this pressure that Earle's got on me. Plus I'm worried about Bruce and how he feels about all of this. You know how he is about letting his true feelings out."

My mom nodded knowingly. "He is just like his mother in that way. Martha was very hesitant about telling people how she truly felt about things. Except when she got into a project that she was very passionate about—the foundation for example. She was a tigress in the boardroom. If you didn't like something she did, beware." My mom seemed distant towards the end of her speech. I hadn't heard her speak about Martha Wayne since I was younger. The only evidence that she'd even existed were the photos hidden around my old house of her and my mom at various charity events that my mom had planned and Martha had attended. I had always been hesitant to approach the subject of Thomas and Martha around my parents and Bruce. It seemed like the mere mention of them would open up a festering wound that I wasn't sure I wanted to see.

"What was she like?" I asked quietly, unsure if this was the appropriate setting in case my mom got emotional. My mom smiled, so it seemed like it was okay.

"She was so kind and gentle," she started, "She and Thomas were practically saints. And they wanted kids for so long. After having Bruce, they dedicated everything to raising him to be the perfect gentleman. But they never forgot those less fortunate than they were. There was this boy's home that they visited regularly—St. Swithin's I believe. They loved meeting all those boys and Thomas was a regular patron at their basketball games. Martha went crazy with donations, always wanting to help. Bruce actually visited a couple times and played with the other boys. They were so sweet. After they… passed, some of their estate went to keep the home running." I sat back as my mom continued telling me about Thomas and Martha. Their charity work, Bruce's childhood, even how much they—as my godparents—spoiled me rotten with extravagant gifts. Thomas had even rented a pony for my second birthday, which I'd screamed and cried until he'd pulled me off and held me until I'd stopped.

"You were the daughter they never had. Do you remember that old stuffed rabbit you had when you were little? Thomas won that at the Wayne Enterprises company carnival when you were a baby. He had to have spent at least twenty dollars in quarters just to get that for you. And he insisted on playing the game for it. 'It will teach her character' he'd argued. There was no stopping him," she and I chuckled. It surprised me that she remembered something so trivial about my childhood. I still had that rabbit somewhere in my room at the Manor. I'd had no idea it had come from Thomas and Martha.

"You know honey, maybe if you try talking about some of this kind of stuff with Bruce, he'll open up more about how he feels about the company," my mom suggested. I thought about it.

Would Bruce really want to talk about his parents? Ever since he'd been back, all he could talk about was this master plan for saving Gotham and had no mention about when he left Gotham and why. His parents had always been a danger zone, the red flashing lights that kept me from venturing too far into the subject. Even before he left on his "quest" or whatever he wanted to call it.

"I don't know Mom, it…"

Suddenly, my phone beeped and I glanced down to see a text from Jessica.

Where are you? Lunch ended fifteen minutes ago and Earle is back any minute! ~Jess

"Oh crap! Mom I have to go, I'm really late. I'm sorry!" I exclaimed, throwing my napkin to the table and grabbing my purse.

"No worries baby. I'll take care of it," Mom smiled, standing and pulling me in for a hug, "And think about what I said about Bruce."

"I will. And thank you for telling me about Thomas and Martha. They seemed wonderful," I said before quickly exiting.

* * *

The conversation with my mother ran circles in my head all day. Even driving home, that and what we had planned for tonight divided my attention. It wasn't until I was home and Alfred was serving dinner that I'd made up my mind to broach the subject with the one person I knew would always listen.

"Hey Alfred?" I asked, watching Bruce disappear up the stairs to the study.

"Yes Miss Delaney?"

"What—what were Bruce's parents like?" I asked timidly. Alfred seemed to pause at the sink as I said this. I could see him choosing his words carefully.

"They were good, Miss Delaney. They had good souls and kind hearts," he murmured. It was silent for a moment as I took a bite of chicken.

"How did you come to work for them? If you don't mind me asking," I continued.

"I've worked in this house since I was a boy and Master Wayne's grandfather was a young man. My mother worked here as a housekeeper and her mother before her. The Pennyworths and the Wayne's have always been synonymous." He smiled tightly, "I've grown up here as much as you have, my dear."

"Why didn't you leave after Bruce left?" I pressed. Alfred nodded with a shadow of a grin on his face.

"You, my girl."

I was shocked. "Me? Why?"

"After Master Bruce left, I wasn't sure what was going to happen. I'd always kept the hope that he had found happiness outside the city that had ruined him in many ways. Yet, you came into this manor and brought back the light I saw only when you were children together. Your hope brought back the life that had been gone so long. And so I stayed, to keep you happy and to look after you, as Master Wayne would have wanted."

Alfred turned away as I sat in a contemplative silence, soaking in everything I'd learned that day. Was I really the reason he'd stayed in a place that seemed so dark and full of memories everyone seemed to never talk about. Even Alfred, the most forthcoming person I knew, was tightlipped about the past.

"Miss Delaney, it seems to be about time for you to go," Alfred reminded me. I glance at the clock and jumped.

"Wow, no kidding. I'll see you later," I said, taking my half eaten dish to the sink and placing it next to Alfred. As I walked away, I barely missed Alfred's knowing gaze following me where Bruce joined me at the bottom of the steps and we walked to the study side-by-side.

* * *

**A.N: GAH! Oh my god I'm so freaking sorry guys! I've tried so hard to pull something out but this is only a filler before the whole Falcone scene. I'd like to thank everyone for your reviews and pushing and asking if I was still alive. Now that I've kind of filled in, I'm hoping to spend some time on the Falcone scene and taking all your suggestions to account. But here's my dilemma:**

**I never planned for Delaney to be a sidekick in all the action. My feelings are that I wanted to stay as true to Nolan-verse as I possibly could. I feel like putting her out there as a batgirl type character was never what I planned and it goes against her role in my mind. I'm not saying that she will be some weak Mary-Sue because I hate those too. But I thank you for your suggestions and hope that I can incorporate them into her as much as possible while also staying true to who she is for me. So with that, let's hope for some butt-kicking action in the next chapter and God help me write it. :) Love to you all!**

**~Brooke **


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